DOCTORS’ ASSOCIATION FOR SOCIAL EQUALITY

[Regd. No. 322/2004]

# 41, Chavadi Street, Pallavaram, Chennai – 600 043 Tamil Nadu.

Phone: 044 – 2264 3561, 2264 2790, Fax: 044 – 2264 3562, Cell: 9940664343

Email: daseindia@yahoo.com, dasetn@yahoo.com, daseindia@gmail.com, www.daseindia.org

Date: 07/12/2007

PRESS RELEASE

DASE welcomes Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss’s decision

Not to extent the MBBS Course Duration

Doctors Permanent Job Opportunities and Standard of Medical Care

Should not be reduced by posting Medical Students on Compulsory basis.

DASE urges the Central Health Minister.

Regarding this Dr. G.R. Ravindranath, General Secretary, DASE has issued the following press statement.

Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss asserted at the side lines of Three Day Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza that the MBBS course duration would not be extended, and compulsory rural posting would be implemented within the 5 ½ years course duration.

DASE welcomes the decision of the Minister not to extend the MBBS course duration. But the idea of putting one year compulsory service within 5 ½ years is not acceptable. Already the students are serving in rural areas for 3 months during internship. If the Government extends the period to 1 year it will abolish the permanent job opportunities of Young doctors and it will lead to deterioration of medical care facilities in the Government hospitals. It would force the rural people to run towards private hospitals.

Why the Government is hesitating to appoint doctors on regular basis at District Head Quarters, Taluk Head Quarters and Primary Health Centre Hospitals? Why it insists to put medical students on compulsory service? Why the Government is not giving jobs for unemployed qualified doctors? Will the Union Health Minister reveal the truth?

If the MBBS Course is modified it will deteriorate the standard of the MBBS. Students could not learn the new developments in Medical Science and Technology. If the Government Hospitals provide medical treatment through the medical students it will reduce the standard of medical care services rendered by the Government Hospitals. So, the Central Health Ministry should completely withdraw the compulsory rural scheme in toto. Qualified Doctors should be appointed in rural hospitals on regular basis. Adequate medical facilities should be made in those hospitals. Central Government should help the states to do so.

Yours truly,

(Dr. G.R. Ravindranath)