The Indian Express 08.08.2012
Civic body plans recruitment incentive to get docs serve in smaller hospitals
The civic administration plans to give priority to resident doctors
completing one-year bond period in peripheral hospitals while recruiting
lecturers in medical colleges. There are 16 peripheral hospitals in the
city, which are typically short-staffed with a few doctors opting to
work there.
The BMC plans to modify the recruitment rules for employing
lecturers, professors and other employees in its medical colleges by
including an additional incentive for doctors who serve in peripheral
hospitals.
The civic body has three hospitals — KEM in Parel, Nair Hospital in Parel and Sion Hospital — that offer medical courses.
“We have noticed a reluctance on the part of doctors to come and
work in smaller hospitals to complete their service term as specified in
the bond. Usually, they prefer to work only in the three major civic
hospitals that offer medical courses,” a civic official said.
Besides these 16 peripheral hospitals, there are five super
specialty hospitals, 26 maternity homes and 168 primary health posts
governed by the BMC.
The doctors who opt to serve their bond period in these hospitals would also be incentivised in the same manner.
“These hospitals are perennially shortstaffed; even frequent
advertising for medical professionals had not yielded any positive
results,” the official said.
Additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar said, “It was a
major challenge to get super-speciality doctors for peripheral
hospitals. This move will ensure that peripheral hospitals are
well-staffed with good doctors. Also, it will be an added incentive for
those who opt to work in peripheral hospitals.”
The list of postgraduate and super-specialty doctors was earlier
given to the Central government, which took decisions on their postings
in rural areas, The BMC had, since last year, asked postgraduate doctors
to do their year-long bonded service in the civic healthcare centres
instead of a rural stint.
Only about 300 of the 2,000 doctors who completed their
post-graduation and super-specialisation from the three civic-run
hospitals last year served in peripheral hospitals, super speciality
hospitals and maternity homes after the civic directive.
Post-graduate doctors have to pay of fine of Rs 15 lakh and
super-speciality doctors Rs 25 lakh if they do not want to do the bonded
service.
