Gujarat: More than 350 doctors passing out of govt medical colleges skipped rural service
Gandhinagar, Mar 20: More than 350 doctors who passed out of state-run medical colleges did not serve in rural areas as per the bond they had to sign at the time of admission, the Gujarat government informed the legislative Assembly on Monday.
Medical students in government-run colleges have to sign a bond promising to serve in rural areas for a year after completing their studies.
Doctors can break the bond by paying Rs 20 lakh to the state government after finishing their MBBS course and Rs 40 lakh after completing their post-graduation, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said while responding to a set of questions by Congress MLAs during Question Hour.
As on December 31, 2022, the state government is yet to recover Rs 18.25 crore from 359 doctors who had broken the bond and refused to serve in rural areas, he said.
He further informed the House that the state government has recovered Rs 139 crore from such doctors in the last three years and legal steps were also initiated against them.
To prevent fresh medical graduates from starting private practice, the state government does not issue required clearances and certificates until they pay the bond money, Patel said.
"Without the clearance, they cannot start private service. But we have seen that most of the MBBS students, who skip rural service, start preparing for NEET to get admission into PG courses. If they get admission to PG courses, they are again required to sign another bond of Rs 40 lakh, promising to serve for a year in rural areas," the minister said.
Thus, after completion of MBBS and PG from government-run colleges, doctors will be required to either serve for two years in rural areas or pay Rs 60 lakh as per the bond agreement, he said.
"To encourage PG doctors to serve in our hospitals, we have decided to change this rule of two years of rural service. Now, PG doctors will be exempted from paying Rs 60 lakh if they serve for one-and-a-half years in villages instead of two years," Patel said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Eminent philosopher, Narayana Gurukula head Muni Narayana Prasad dies at 87
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Eminent philosopher, spiritual leader Muni Narayana Prasad, who headed the famed Narayana Gurukula, passed away early Saturday, sources said.
He was 87.
He breathed his last while undergoing treatment for a brief ailment at a private medical college hospital in Venjaramoodu here, said sources at Narayana Gurukula, a Varkala-based philosophical and educational organisation inspired by the teachings of saint-social reformer Narayana Guru.
A recipient of the Padma Shri in 2024 and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for his contributions to literature and philosophy, Prasad was an engineering graduate before choosing the spiritual path.
He worked in the state government service before joining as an inmate in Gurukula, founded by Sree Narayana Guru's disciple Nataraja Guru in 1923.
Prasad later became the head of Gurukula following the demise of its then chief and prominent philosopher Nitya Chaitanya Yati.
An eminent scholar and a prolific writer, he wrote several books on various streams, especially on philosophy and spirituality.
People from various walks of life condoled Muni Narayana Prasad's demise.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in his condolence message, said that Muni Narayana Prasad was noted for propagating the Guru's teachings, critically interpreting his literary works, and delivering engaging lectures.
He described him as a scholar who deeply imbibed the philosophy of Sree Narayana Guru and presented it meaningfully to the world. He had the ability to communicate profound philosophical ideas in simple language, the CM noted.
Filled with humanism and a sense of equality in both words and actions, he influenced the thinking of many people, Vijayan said.
"With the passing of Muni Narayana Prasad, we have lost a teacher who taught society how to think," Vijayan added in his condolence message.
_vb_19.jpeg)