Vaiko's plea to PM on MBBS course

Chennai, Nov 23 (UNI) Marumalarchi DMK (MDMK) General Secretary Vaiko today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to maintain statusquo on duration of MBBS course which stands at five and half yearsto ensure the protection of medicial students' interests in the present and in the future.

Expressing solidarity with the medicos who called off their stir today following an assurance by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Mr Vaiko said if the Centre enacted a law extending the course duration to six and half years, it would deal a blow to medical profession.

The Centre's move to make one year rural postings compulsory would lead to 29,500 doctors being deprived of employment opportunity, immediately and 40,000 junior doctors losing the chances of getting government jobs in another 10 years.

UNI