Anbumani assures to solve rural posting issue amicably

Chennai, Sep 8 (UNI) Three days after medicos in Tamil Nadu began their protest against the Centre's decision of making one year rural posting mandatory, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today held talks with them and assured to resolve the issue amicably.

In a brief chat with the newspersons, after a nearly 100-minute meeting with the students representatives of 14 medical colleges in the state, Dr Ramadoss said he would place the students' views before the high-level expert committee which had recommended the rural posting under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and settle the issue.

The medicos across the state had been protesting and boycotting classes denouncing the Centre's directive that medicos should compulsorily serve in rural areas for one year after their five and half years course to earn the MBBS Degree.

This was the first ever meeting held to solve the issue.

Though Dr Ramadoss heard the views of the students and the problems faced by them and also explained the government's stand on the contentious issue, the Minister stopped short of giving a categorical assurance as demanded by the students.

''I will place your views before the high level expert committee and try to solve the issue,'' he said and appealed to the medicos to drop their agitational path and attend classes from tomorrow.

Since the students were willing to serve in rural areas permanently, the Health Ministry would consult the states concerned in that regard, he added.

One of the students representative said he would hold talks with the council members of various medical colleges and decide on giving up the agitation.

Later talking to UNI, Dr Ramadoss said the response from the students for change in MBBS curriculum, proposed by the Ministry, was positive and encouraging.

UNI