Locals to be given preference in Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery: Govt

Local students would be given preference in a medical course to train doctors for postings in rural areas, the government told the Lok Sabha today. 

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, minister of state for health, Dinesh Trivedi said the Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery (BRMS) course was a revolutionary step to ensure proper healthcare in villages.

While NDA Convenor and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav expressed support for the scheme, several members of the Opposition
and even the treasury benches voiced their reservation over
the scheme contending that it would lead to prevalence of
"half-baked" medical professionals across the country.

Those who obtain the BRMS degree, also called as rural MBBS, will get a licence to practice only in notified rural areas. They cannot travel to cities for work or go for higher education. Only students from rural areas will be allowed admission.

PC Chacko (Congress) contended that the BRMS programme
would produce "half-baked" doctors and even the Medical
Council of India (MCI) had opposed the scheme.
   
Ratna De (Trinamool Congress) also questioned BRMS. 

As members were not satisfied, speaker Meira Kumar asked them to give a notice for a short duration discussion to deliberate on the issue in detail.