Showing posts with label Rural Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rural Health. Show all posts

Thursday, November 19, 2009

3 Year Health Professional course to ensure Rural Health

Dear Friends,

The Country may have reached the 21st century with all advancements in science and technology but when it comes to rural India which still comprises 70% of India, people are dying because of common ailments which is left untreated due to lack of trained medical professionals or ends up being treated by a quack who have mushroomed in the absence of a trained medical & para-medical profesionals.

We were hearing an appeal from the PM and the President calling upon the doctors to compulsorily serve in rural India at least for 2 years in the begining of their practice. But in India such appeals do not seem to work with every one looking to generate mullas as early as possible. Many want to fly off to other developed countries and those who remain move to big cities/towns to develop their business.

The Govt. machinery is woefully pathetic when it comes to PHCs etc. Doctors posted there do not report there. The PIL filed by Advocate Prashant Bhushan has some answers for such a situation. He suggest reducing the duration of MBBS course from 5 years to 3 years or atleast create another course which makes a trained doctor eligible to practice in rural areas. His reason is simple. You don't need to be armed with high professional qualification to give basic health services in rural areas. China practices such a system to ensure right to health in far flung areas.

It can surely be done in India. If accepted by Min. of Health, the problem of quacks can be tackled for sure while the health will reach the door of the rural masses. This solution has caught the eye of the Delhi High Court Judges who have issued notices on the petition to the Govt. of India (Min. of Health) to file a reply and study feasibility of the same.

Looking forward to the response of the Govt and how this PIL culminates in to some pathbreaking initiative through court intervention!
regards

Subhash Chandra Vashishth, Advocate


For detailed news from source click here:


Delhi HC suggests a 3-year MBBS course
It asked the government to consider changing the MBBS curriculum so that basic health facilities can be reached to the rural population

Published on 11/19/2009 3:39:28 PM


New Delhi: Taking serious note of the fact that basic health facilities were not reaching the poor in rural areas, the Delhi High Court has asked the Health Ministry to consider whether the present course can be reduced from five years to three years.

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice S Muralidhar asked the Health Ministry and the Medical Council of India (MCI) to consider changing the MBBS curriculum so that basic health facilities can be reached to the rural population.

"This is a very important issue. Almost 80 per cent of the rural population is devoid of the basic public health and this fact should be considered seriously," the court said while asking the Ministry to file its response by December 9, the next date of hearing, reports IANS.

Asking the government to amend the present educational standards the court said, "You have to change the over-five years' MBBS course so that doctors who get trained don't fly to other countries or stick to the metro cities in the wake of good earning. Educational system should be changed to three years so that every doctor can cater to rural population."

The court was hearing a public interest petition filed by a public health specialist, Meenakshi Gautham, who contended that a person who completes his MBBS can practice modern medicine as soon as the course is completed.

These graduates, the petition said, either rush to big cities or go abroad, and therefore a large majority of people are not able to get proper medical treatment, and are forced to depend either on untrained and uncertified rural medical practitioners, or on quacks.

"The irony is that 80 per cent of the common medical problems and ailments can be treated at the level of primary health care and do not require attention of a professional trained in highly academic, sophisticated, five-and a half-year long course like MBBS," advocate Prashant Bhushan said, and suggested the Ministry should follow the educational model adopted by China.