NEW DELHI: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister A. Ramadoss on Wednesday announced the setting up of a task force to look into rural postings and continuing medical education.

At a consultation with professional medical bodies, he said the Ministry was evolving a new curriculum for medical students, looking into suggestions on continuing medical education and working on the Clinical Establishment Bill to categorise hospitals and nursing homes.

Dr. Ramadoss said pricing of medical equipment could be brought under the ambit of a section under the proposed national drugs authority.

To end shortage of anaesthetists in rural areas, he recommended increasing postgraduate admissions in anaesthesia, revival of a diploma course and starting a six-month certificate course for medical officers under the National Board of Examination. Recognition to large hospitals to provide facility for conducting the courses could also be considered.

There was a dearth of specialists in the 3,222-odd community health centres (CHCs). The shortfall of surgeons and gynaecologists was as high as 56 per cent, physicians 59 per cent, paediatricians about 67 per cent and anaesthetists even higher. According to the Ministry officials, 700 of the 23,109 primary health centres (PHCs) were without doctors.

Of the 1,082 million people, 72.2 per cent live in rural areas in six lakh villages where rural health services are provided through 1,42,655 sub-centres, 23,109 PHCs and 3,222 CHCs. Several State Governments and Union Territories had taken measures to make compulsory posting to rural or difficult areas as a pre-requisite for admission to post graduate courses, promotion, foreign assignment or training abroad but they have not yielded the desired results.

The National Rural Health Mission task force, he said, has recommended an increase in the doctors' retirement age to 65 years, subject to working in rural areas, preferably with posting near their home town; decentralisation of recruitment at district level and contractual appointment in rural areas.

It has also recommended enhancing the salary of those posted in rural areas and facility of reservation of seats and employment of spouse at the same place, besides scope for professional enhancement through continuing medical education or promotional avenues.

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