Health Ministry plans to scrap bond policy for doctors

Amid the ongoing protest for bond-free medical education in India, reports say that the health ministry is working on guidelines to remove the bond policy for doctors.

There is a nationwide protest going on against the bond policies in medical education, especially in Haryana where the protesting MBBS students of PGIMS Rohtak were beaten by the Rohtak policy. The latest is, as per reports, the Union health ministry is working to finalise guidelines to do away with the bond policy for doctors based on the National Medical Commission (NMC)'s recommendations in this regard, official sources said.

"The health ministry is working to finalise guidelines for doing away with the bond policy based on the recommendations by NMC," the source said, as reported by NDTV.

"In a meeting, it was observed that there is a consensus that there should be mandatory rural service to enhance the availability of doctors in rural and remote areas with flexibility. Also, the bond could be non-financial and implemented through an administrative mechanism," added the source.

"The NMC, in its comments, stated that since the promulgation of the bond policy by the various states, much has changed in medical education in the country and therefore, it may be worth reviewing the merits/effectiveness of this policy by the various states," the source said further.

"The NMC submitted its detailed observations. In view of its observations and notwithstanding the observations of the SC upholding the legalities related to the bond policies of the state governments, the commission was of the considered view that medical students should not be burdened with any bond conditions and doing so may run contrary to the principles of natural justice," added the source.

About bond policy in medical education India

As per the bond policy, doctors are required to serve for a specific period in state hospitals after the completion of their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, failing which they have to pay a penalty (amount specified beforehand by every state and union territory) to the state or medical college. In August 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the bond policy of states and observed that certain governments impose rigid conditions.

Read more:

• Haryana Bond Policy Protests: FORDA, RDA RML observe Black Day today
• Docs' Associations support PGIMS Rohtak MBBS students protest against bond