Family Welfare


Incentives for doctors in Rural Areas
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16:47 IST
RAJYA SABHA

The Central Government has amended the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations to provide -

i. 50% reservation in Post Graduate Diploma Courses for Medical Officers in the Government service who have served for at least three years in remote and difficult areas; and

ii. Incentive at the rate of 10% of the marks obtained for each year in service in remote or difficult areas upto the maximum of 30% of the marks obtained in the entrance test for admissions in Post Graduate Medical Courses.

Under National Rural Health Mission, incentives to doctors posted in the rural areas are provided by the respective State Governments.

There is uneven distribution of doctors in urban and rural areas leading to shortage of doctors in rural areas mainly due to reluctance of the doctors to work in the rural areas. However, as per information furnished by Medical Council of India, the total number of registered allopathic doctors in the country is 7, 48,757. In addition there more than six lakh practitioners of Indian system of medicine and Homoeopathy. Currently, there are 300 medical colleges in the country for teaching modern system of medicine with annual intake of 35, 252 who add up to the existing medical manpower.

This information was given by Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad in written reply to a question raised in Rajya Sabha today.

MV/GK