TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The government will make it mandatory for all postgraduate masters and postgraduate diploma students passing out of Goa Medical College, to serve one year in any of the primary or community health centres in the state, Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said.
Speaking to Herald, Parsekar said that the doctors would boost the human resource at these rural health centres, besides utilising the infrastructure made available there.
“This year GMC has 89 Masters in Medicine. We will make it mandatory for them to serve in primary and community health centres for a year. At the time of admission they sign an agreement that they have to work for the Goa government for a year, else they have to pay back Rs 10-lakh. However this agreement was never implemented,” Parsekar told Herald.
He said that four to five doctors would be posted at each primary or community health centre depending on the demand and the number of patients the health centre caters to.
“About six PHCs have no inpatient services. Depending on the demand we will post four to five doctors at each centre,” Parsekar said adding that the doctors will be paid commensurate with their qualifications.
Parsekar also said that postgraduate diploma students would be roped in by the health department. “Our first preference will be for masters’ students, but we will bring in diploma students as well,” Parsekar said.
The Goa Medical College Masters Programme caters to students from around the country and not just the state. The Directorate of Health Services runs five hospitals, five community health centres, four urban health centres and nineteen primary health centres.
The Medical Council of India as well as the Union government had already recommended compulsory rural medical service for doctors graduating from all medical colleges across the country. Parsekar said that more than infrastructure, the need in the health sector was that of trained manpower.
“What’s the point of building operation theatres and big hospitals in rural areas if there’s no one to staff them?” Parsekar asked in an obvious reference to previous Health Minister Vishwajit Rane who built three hospitals relatively close to each other in Bicholim, Sanquelim, Valpoi and Ponda.
