Haryana Govt Modifies Bond policy to 5 years Service, 30 lakh penalty, Medicos continue strike
Chandigarh: After a month-long protest of the medical students, the Haryana Government has agreed to modify the MBBS bond policy by reducing the penalty amount from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 30 lakh and the duration of bond service from 7 years to 5 years.However, unhappy with these changes, the medical students in Haryana have rejected the modifications and they are continuing with their strike....
Chandigarh: After a month-long protest of the medical students, the Haryana Government has agreed to modify the MBBS bond policy by reducing the penalty amount from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 30 lakh and the duration of bond service from 7 years to 5 years.
However, unhappy with these changes, the medical students in Haryana have rejected the modifications and they are continuing with their strike. The medicos have not changed their stand and they are still demanding one-year compulsory bond service with guarantee of job from the Government.
Further, the Haryana medical students are also demanding that the postings should be given by the government within three to four months.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the MBBS students in Haryana were protesting against the Rs 10 lakh annual bond policy imposed on the students. While recently CM Manohar Lal Khattar announced the Government's decision of junking the Rs 10 lakh annual fee, the bond money got changed into Bond papers. Therefore, now students will have to enter into a bond-cum-loan agreement of the amount with the college and the concerned bank. The state government will finance the bond amount if MBBS and MD pass-out students wish to join government service as a doctor and serve for a specified period of seven years. But candidates who do not want to join government services in Haryana will have to pay the amount themselves.
Also Read: Despite Warning, Haryana medicos continue strike, delegations to meet CM today
As per the notification published in the State Government Gazette dated November 07, 2022, "All candidates completing their MBBS Course from Government Medical Colleges in the State of Haryana, shall have to execute a tripartite bond at the time of admission amounting to Rs 36,40,636/- in Government Medical Colleges and Rs 32,80,000/- in Government Aided Medical College i.e MAMC, Agroha which will be signed at the time of admission between the candidate, bank and Government (through the Institution concerned in which the candidate gets admission)."
Clearly, the doctors were upset with the bond service terms for seven years and it was also unclear what would happen if the medicos wished to pursue post-graduation or higher education degrees. So, the upset medicos had organized a peaceful protest against the new bond rules in Haryana. They are demanding the revision of bond service period from 7 years to 1 year and changing the penalty amount to Rs 5 lakh.
Escalating their protest, the MBBS students and Resident doctors belonging to all the government medical colleges in Haryana decided to shut down OPD, Ward and elective services (sparing the emergency and trauma) from Thursday onwards. They had further given the authorities an ultimatum of 48-hours. It was announced that if the Government does not respond, the protest would be further escalated.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) also came to the support of the students and the private hospitals in Haryana also suspended their services in the support of the protesting medicos.
The students met the Chief Minister yesterday and after the four-hour long meeting, CM Manohar Lal Khattar announced the decision of modifying the bond policy. As per ANI reports, the CM told the media, "Today we had a long conversation with MBBS students (who were protesting against bond policy). We've now made changes in the policy which incl reduction (in duration of compulsory govt service) from 7 yrs to 5 yrs & bond amount reduced to Rs 30 lakhs from Rs 40 lakhs."
"Not everyone has to pay this (bond) amount. Only those who'll complete MBBS in next 5 years & will earn more than govt salary will pay this amount. We've also given job guarantee. Those who will not get any Pvt or govt job will be given contractual employment for 1 yr," added the CM.
Despite such an announcement, the students are claiming that the modifications do not ensure job guarantee. While commenting on this, an MBBS student of PGIMS Rohtak, told Medical Dialogues, "We are still demanding one-year compulsory bond service with job guarantee. Besides, we have also demanded that the postings should be given by the government within three to four months."
Referring to the recent announcement of the CM, she added, "The Government has said that they would try to give us jobs. If they fail to do so, then the students will have to find jobs by themselves for one year. The loan interest will also start after the completion of the internship. All of this will create tremendous mental pressure on the minds of the students. Almost in all the other states, the bond service period is for one to two years. But here the Government is not ready to reduce it from five years. So we are continuing our strike."
"The Government is in favour of privatisation of medical education and it seems that it has become sin to do MBBS. What do we get after undergoing five years of study, internship and clearing NEXT?" she added.
When asked if the Government has informed about next date of meeting, she added, "We have not been informed about any upcoming meeting yet. So we are continuing the strike."
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