Maharashtra government to make rural service mandatory for medical students

Maharashtra government is making it compulsory for PG medical students and faculty to serve in rural areas, to provide specialised treatment to patients there, a senior minister said.
       
"We are planning to make it mandatory for all post graduate students and faculty to visit patients from rural areas once a month," minister for medical education Vijaykumar
Gavit told PTI here.
       
An earlier decision by the State government, to make two years' internship for MBBS students in rural areas compulsory, created a controversy, as many of them wanted to join PG courses after completing the graduate degree. Later, the period of the internship was reduced.
       
However, the latest decision would not affect students' career, Gavit said. In fact, they would get more exposure to various types of patients, he added.
       
The students and teachers would be given incentives for their work in rural areas, the minister said.
       
"The project would strengthen our primary health care centres, which have no specialised facilities, to treat patients with heart, kidney and respiratory diseases. Officers at these centres would inform doctors about types of treatment required for patients in nearby areas and specialised doctors would be sent there," Gavit said.
  
Students would get to treat various cases and they can even perform minor surgeries under the guidance of faculty members on the spot, Gavit said.
       
Serious cases would be brought to hospital for further treatment, expenses for which would be borne by the government, he added.
       
"Regular visits by students will help identify types of diseases in particular areas and research data would be collected automatically. This will help eradicate diseases like sickle cell anemia," he said.
       
A similar pilot project implemented in Vidarbha region recently was a success, the minister said. However, more co-ordination and improvement is required before actual implementation, he added.
       
Funds would be made available for the project from the Centre's National Rural Health Mission, Gavit said.