Rs 25-lakh fine on PG doctors for skipping rural service

Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader said on Monday that the State government plans to levy a fine of Rs 25 lakh on postgraduate doctors who do not complete their compulsory rural service.

Replying to a calling attention motion by BJP member K Govindaraju, regarding the shortage of doctors in rural areas, Khader told the Legislative Council that the government also had plans to impose a fine of Rs 15 lakh on doctors with postgraduate diploma, who do not fulfill their service conditions. 

MBBS graduates will have to shell out a fine of Rs 10 lakh, if they fail to complete their service in rural areas. He said that at present, doctors who do not complete their rural service have to pay Rs one lakh as fine, but 900 doctors have opted to pay the fine and stay away from the villages. “The State had decided to fill up 600 vacancies for medical officers, but only 252 candidates applied for the post. During the counselling to allocate the place of posting, only 137 candidates came. Of these, only 75 candidates have joined duty,” he said.