SUBHASH MISHRA
Ranchi, Dec 27: The Junior Doctors Association (JDA) of Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS), Ranchi, has strongly opposed the five-year bond service policy for MBBS graduates announced by the state health minister, urging the government to reconsider the decision in the interest of students’ future.
In a press communiqué issued on Saturday, the newly elected office bearers of the JDA said postgraduate (PG) doctors are already bound by a three-year mandatory service, and imposing five-year bond on MBBS graduates is unjustified and discouraging for young medical professionals.
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The association was reacting to Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari’s announcement that MBBS graduates from medical colleges would be required to serve the state for five years to address the shortage of doctors.
‘Burden of Systemic Failure Being Shifted to Students’
Criticising the move, JDA office bearers said the government was attempting to place the burden of a failing healthcare system on MBBS graduates.
“To cover up the failure of the health system, the government is trying to impose a burden on MBBS students. Is it justified to get work forcibly done by MBBS graduates?” the communiqué stated.
They argued that if the health minister is genuinely serious about improving healthcare services, the government should focus on making provisions for regular appointments of specialist doctors graduating from medical colleges.
Impact on Higher Studies and Specialist Availability
JDA president Dr Jitendra Kumar, executive president A.N. Singh and secretary Shubham B. Joshi pointed out that the MBBS course itself is academically demanding and rigorous. They said medical education does not end with obtaining an MBBS degree, as further studies are essential to become a fully developed doctor.
The office bearers warned that if a five-year bond service policy is imposed, MBBS graduates would lose opportunities to pursue higher education, ultimately leading to a shortage of specialist doctors in Jharkhand.
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Jharkhand Moving Against National Trend
The RIMS medicos’ body expressed surprise that while several other states are reducing bond service periods, Jharkhand is planning to impose a five-year bond on its MBBS graduates.
They also recalled that in 2024, the then Health Minister, Banna Gupta, and Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Ajay Kumar Singh, had assured a Junior Doctors Network (JDN) delegation that the three-year bond service for PG doctors would be reviewed and the penalty amount for breaking the bond would be reduced.
Lack of Stakeholder Consultation Questioned
JDA office bearers regretted that stakeholders were not consulted before announcing the policy. “It is a common practice for the government to hold meetings with concerned stakeholders before framing any policy. However, the health minister, who claims to be serious about improving health services, did not consult medical students before announcing this decision,” they said.
They further questioned the government’s argument that heavy expenditure is incurred on MBBS students, noting that similar investments are made in IIT engineers and IIM graduates, yet no such service bonds are imposed on them.
