Counselling for doctors' rural service

Minister of State for Medical Education Dr Sharanprakash Patil on Tuesday said as many as 7,000 medical doctors, including 200 postgraduate doctors, will be available for rural service by April 2016.

He said the government will be deputing these doctors, who pass out of the colleges, to primary health centers in rural areas and district hospitals. About 200 postgraduate doctors will be available by this month-end. The Medical Education department has decided to conduct counselling for the same. Doctors will be given options to select hospitals depending on their merit. They will be given a  monthly stipend of Rs 13,000.

Patil said the Medical Council of India had not given permission for admission to MBBS courses to six medical colleges in 2015-16 due to issues pertaining to infrastructure and staff. As a result, the State will be losing about 900 MBBS seats. But about 450 MBBS seats allotted to new government medical colleges in Kalaburagi, Koppal and Gadag will be available, he said.