Anbumani denies remarks on medico issue

Chennai, Dec 8 (UNI) Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today denied having said that the one year compulsory rural postings for medicos would be part of the five-and-a-half-year MBBS course.

Talking to newspersons after inaugurating 'Synergy 2007', the silver jubilee meeting of Strabismological Society of India here, he made it clear that the Centre would take a decision on the issue only after the Sambasiva Rao Committee, constituted to look into the issue, submitted its report.

''I never said that the one year rural internship would be within the five-and-a-half years. They quoted me wrongly,'' he said.

The Centre's move to introduce one year rural postings triggered protests from the medicos and house surgeons, who contended that the move would extend the period of MBBS course by an year from the existing five-and-a-half years.

They said they were willing to serve in rural areas, provided the Government awarded them degrees after completion of MBBS course and posted them on a permanent basis.

Medicos in Tamil Nadu were in the forefront of the agitation against the Centre's move. After they launched a series of stirs, the Centre came forward to constitute the Committee to go into the issue. The Committee had visited 21 places across the country and was expected to submit its report by the month-end.

UNI