The Hindu : New Delhi News : Govt. defends ‘rural doctors’ scheme

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Govt. defends ‘rural doctors’ scheme

Aarti Dhar

– PHOTO: V. V. KRISHNAN (REPORT ON pAGE 4)

“NO, MINISTER!”: Doctors in the Capital protesting against the proposed new Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery course on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: Defending the proposed new model for under-graduate medical education to create a separate cadre of “rural doctors”, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Thursday that the scheme – which has come in for strong opposition from doctors in the Capital and elsewhere -- would not compromise on the quality of medical education or reduce the importance of trained and specialised doctors.

Inaugurating a two-day national workshop here to discuss the proposed new course for Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery degree, Mr. Azad said the idea was not to shirk the responsibility of having trained doctors, but past neglect could not be the reason for not thinking of innovative solutions today: “The motivation and the situation prevailing in villages compels us to look beyond the current solution.”

Barefoot doctors

Citing the example of China, the Minister said it invested in barefoot doctors in the 1950s and ‘60s resulting in remarkable achievements in health indicators. Similarly Chhattisgarh had gone ahead and introduced a three-year course, he added.

Mr. Azad said the training and skills proposed to be imparted to the rural health providers should be designed and based on the health needs of the rural community, not make it a backdoor entry for persons to get into the medical profession. “Implementing such a programme would also require strict vigilance, public information and ensure that these persons do not, upon getting a degree, move to urban areas and set up practice,” said Mr. Azad calling upon the Medical Council of India to closely monitor and have an annual licensing procedure established.

Asserting that under no circumstances was the government planning to provide services of ill-trained doctors for rural areas, Mr. Azad spoke of collective responsibility to address the problem of human resources for health care in villages in a sustainable manner.

The Minister said the rationale behind the scheme was that given the very elementary nature of ailments suffered by people in rural areas, availability of modern tools such as rapid diagnostic kits, early detection, simple treatment and timely referral, it was possible to offer treatment by short-term trained professionals instead of highly skilled personnel.

The proposal envisages that persons belonging to rural areas be put through a three-year course on basic anatomy and diagnosis and treatment of basic ailments. They would work in 1.45 lakh sub-centres or primary health centres.

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