'Operation stir' by medicos, medical practitioners

Chennai, Sep 3 (UNI) Wearing black badges, medical practitioners and medicos across Tamil Nadu today staged a demonstration in protest against Union Health Ministry's firm directive on one-year rural posting for doctors.

A cross-section of medical practitioners at Chennai Government Hospital, Stanley Government Hospital, Kilpauk Medical College and other institutions wore black badges to express their opposition to the compulsory rural posting.

They have also planned a token strike on September five and would stage a demonstration on that day.

At the Government Thanjavur Medical College Hospital, medicos protested by wearing black badges. The protesting doctors alleged that the number of private hospitals had increased and the situation had changed considerably compared to the early 1980s.

The remuneration for the doctors was very less in government hospitals, prompting the doctors to opt for private hospitals.

Alleging that the Health Ministry had not allocated enough funds, the medicos blamed the lethargic attitude of the government towards the Health Department for the present situation.

''Blaming the doctors for not being keen on serving in rural areas is a diversionary tactic,'' they said.

Instead of blaming the doctors, the government should increase the fund allocation for the department and curb privatisation in the health sector, they added.

It may be noted that Union Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss had stated that young medicos would be posted compulsorily in rural areas to ensure that they are exposed to rural healthcare.

''In other countries, students have to undergo compulsory rural posting for three years. The one-year posting was in practice earlier in India, but was scrapped. We have just brought it back,'' the Minister had said.

He had also stated that ''once he or she completes MBBS or has done a stint as house surgeon, one will be qualified for practice.

They will work under the District Medical Officer and we are giving them a minimum of Rs 8,000 as stipend,'' he had observed.

A report from Tiruchirapalli said medicos and training doctors of Dr K A P Viswanathan Government Medical College staged a demonstration protesting against the Centre's move to increase MBBS course duration by one year from five and and a half years now. UNI