MBBS completed but Karnataka students unable to apply for higher studies or register to practice even as colleges withhold degree certificates. Court decision on compulsory rural posting still pending
A month since their course has ended but 6,000 MBBS students (whole 2015 batch) in Karnataka are not able to either apply for higher studies or get registered with the Karnataka Medical Council to practise even though they have completed internships in the hospitals to which their colleges are affiliated. This is thanks to the confusion created by the government with its compulsory one-year rural service rule.
The high court has put a stay on the Compulsory Rural Service Act and has told colleges to hand over degree certificates to students with the condition that students will have to return and complete their posting if the order goes against them. But colleges are not complying with this and are withholding degree certificates.
This stance by colleges has now affected students who join MBBS courses through All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) where 15% of gover nment seats are reserved for AIPMT. The state produces around 6,000 MBBS, 1,100 post graduate medical students and over 200 super specialists every year.
Dr H Veerabhadrappa, President of the Karnataka Medical Council, said not a single candidate has registered this year, though there have been many enquiries.”This is sad. We get calls from students but we explain them that we need an affidavit signed by himher before the court to register himher as a doctor. The affidavit should mention that the candidate would come back to Karnataka for rural intern ship if the Act is implemented. No one has reached out to us yet with affidavit. Any No law should be retrospective.The government should ideally chalked out a proper plan before implementing it,” he says.
An MBBS graduate from Hassan medical college said he has not received the course completion certificate as the director of medical education has reportedly told medical colleges not to issue the certificates until further orders. “We got seats through All India selection test and not through Karnataka CET.Only those who got seats through KCET will have to do rural internship, not us. Delay in issuing certificate and registration is affecting my chances of pursuing higher education or joining a job,” the graduate said.
The only option they seem to be having is to approach the court. “There is a stay on the implementation the rural internship by the high court. The option left for us is to petition before the court and declare through an affidavit that we would come back to serve in Karnataka for rural internship for one year if the Act gets implemented and plead for registration and issuance of certificate,” said an MCh candidate working in Victoria Hospital as a plastic surgeon.
No exemption for anyone
Dr SS Harsoor, Director of Medical Education, said the issue of rural internship is handled by the Health Commission. “This matter has not come to me off late.If students approach me, I will explain the same. Why should they resist working in rural areas for a year whether they have signed or not? There were plans also to include the students who got seats under management quota to do mandatory rural internship, and not just for those who got government seats. The rules are the same for those who got seats through AIPMT. The matter is currently in court,” he said.
The Case Remains
While MBBS students struggle to get their basic right to the degree certificate, the larger question remains – Why not apply the Compulsory Rural Posting Act across the board for – engineers, commerce graduates, literature & arts students as well. Rural areas need established infrastructure, business practices, connectivity (electricity, internet, telephone etc.) also. By simply sending doctors out to villages alone it cannot be expected that a village will grow and thrive.
Also as has been discussed many times, sending an untrained freshly graduated MBBS student into a rural setting with minimal infrastructure or mentor support can be dangerous and counter-poductive. The court has to also realise that PG exams like the AIPGMEE and foreign exams like the USMLE have timelines and non-issuance of the degree certificate can lead to a loss of precious time and attempts at these exams.The court and state have to come up with a solution to this stalemate and give MBBS students the right to choose their future plans.
Original Post: TOI
Image credit: The Hindu
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