In a bid to encourage government doctors to serve in remote areas, the government plans to provide them with reservation in postgraduate courses, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.
Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste said during Question Hour that the government proposes to bring the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill to ensure that 50 per cent of the seats in postgraduate courses in government colleges are reserved by States for medical officers in government services who have served “at least three years in remote and difficult areas.”
The Bill proposes that after completing the PG course, the medical officers could once again be asked to serve another three-year term in a difficult area.
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The Minister said the WHO country office has clarified that there was no report in the recent past that stated that 70 per cent of the rural population in the country has minimal access to healthcare.