Health Service Amendment Bill passed by voice vote
In a bid to realise chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s dream to take health services to the remotest corners of the state, the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday passed the State Health Service Amendment Bill, 2013, aimed to provide incentives to MBBS doctors assigned in remote areas of the state. The bill was tabled by minister of state for health Chandrima Bhattacharya in the Assembly and was passed by voice vote.
Ms Bhattacharya while briefing the media on the details of the bill said that the bill envisages provision of incentives in the form of promotion and financial assistance to the doctors to pursue higher studies.
She said the bill provides for formation of an expert committee which would submit its recommendations to the government for consideration. “The state government has already increased the number of seats in medical courses from 1,300 to 1,900. Hence, it is expected that there would be sufficient number of doctors in the long run,” she added.
Earlier, replying during the debate in the House on the subject, the minister said out of nine crore population in the state, 73 per cent availed of treatment in government hospitals and primary health centres.
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