Rural service for doctors not compulsory: K'taka Cabinet

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: On Thursday, the Karnataka Cabinet decided to introduce an ordinance that eliminates the mandatory requirement for graduating doctors to serve in rural areas.

Under the current Karnataka Compulsory Service by Candidates Completed Medical Courses Act, all MBBS, postgraduate, and super speciality graduates are obligated to spend one year working in government healthcare facilities in rural regions.

H K Patil, the Minister for Law & Parliamentary Affairs, informed the media that once the ordinance is enacted, rural service will no longer be compulsory for MBBS and PG medical students.

Instead, it will be contingent on the number of available positions in government healthcare facilities. Patil clarified that this choice was made due to a significant surplus of applicants for rural service compared to the number of vacancies in government hospitals.

He explained, "With this measure, the government aims to alleviate the financial burden while also rationalizing the allocation of human resources."

Under the current compulsory rural service arrangement, MBBS students receive a monthly salary of Rs 62,666, MD/MS students are compensated around Rs 70,000, and super speciality students receive Rs 72,800.

Presently, medical students who do not fulfil their mandatory rural service obligation are subjected to fines ranging from Rs 15-30 lakh.