Notwithstanding recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee which rejected the proposed rural medicine course, the Union health ministry has decided to approach the Cabinet shortly.
According to senior officials in the health ministry, since they have not found enough substantiation in the recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee, they have decided to take it at a higher level.
“The ministry has taken a view and decided not to accept the recommendations of the standing committee. Let the Cabinet debate it at length before next action is taken on this health ministry’s proposal,” said a senior official in the health ministry.
The undergraduate community health course was designed with a view to improve rural health infrastructure. However, the parliamentary committee taking suo moto cognisance on the proposed course opposed its introduction and instead recommended one year compulsory rural posting for medical graduates so that the shortage of doctors is met in rural areas.
The government had proposed introducing a 3.5-year bachelor of rural medical course, also known as B.Sc. community health course from the current session to produce community health officers for rural areas.
In its recommendations, the panel headed by Brajesh Pathak had said that the government should continue its focus on strengthening the existing health care infrastructure by increasing the intake of MBBS doctors and should make rural posting compulsory for one year after intership. The panel had also recommended that more nursing graduates be posted in subcenters and intake of nursing graduates may be increased in the nursing schools. In its 65the report, the committee further recommended that graduates and post graduates in Ayush stream may be appointed to meet the demand in rural areas.
The ministry had earlier decided to introduce the course in the states willing to adopt it from 2013-2014. The proposal was however also opposed earlier by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which cited that the course will bring in disparity in the health professionals.