Relief to MBBS Graduates: Maha Stays Bond Service Requirement for PG Aspirants

Mumbai: Bringing relief to MBBS graduates, the Maharashtra Government has put the one-year government bond service requirement for postgraduate medical admissions on hold.

As per the previous Government Order dating back to 2017, MBBS graduates are required to complete their bond service before joining postgraduate medical courses.

However, issuing an order on Thursday, the State Medical Education Department stayed the requirement. The order stated, "The 2017 state government resolution requiring MBBS graduates to complete their bond service before joining PG courses had been put on hold till further orders."

In the Government Resolutions (GR) issued in October 2017, the State mentioned that the medical graduates from the GMCs would not be considered eligible for MD/MS and PG Diploma courses before completing their bond-service requirement at the remote healthcare facilities and other establishments.

Also Read: Maharashtra May Allow MBBS Graduates to Pursue PG Medical Courses Without Completing Bond Service: Report

However, when the students who were admitted in 2019-2020 and graduated recently enquired about this at the State Medical Education Directorate, they came to know that the GRs meant the new conditions would be applicable from the 2019 undergraduate (UG) batch, and not from the 2019 PG medical admissions. The graduates were worried about this as many of them are yet to find a posting for their bond service.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that amid this situation, earlier this month, the Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) Maharashtra, a group of 2019 batch students who recently completed their post-MBBS internship wrote to the Director of Medical Education and sought clarity on this issue and demanded to be only subjected to the conditions mentioned in their bond agreement and be allowed to take the upcoming NEET PG exam.

At present, the State permits the medical graduates to first enrol to PG medical courses and complete their bond service requirements later. However, those students who are repeating their PG entrance test for the third time have to complete their bond tenure first.

Highlighting the concerns of medical graduates, ASMI had pointed out that around 4,150 MBBS students graduate every year in Maharashtra, but an equal number of seats are not available with the DMER for bond service placements. Due to this, many students are left waiting indefinitely and their academic and professional progression also get delayed.

Hindustan Times has reported that the State has now stayed the bond service completion requirement for PG medical admissions. Welcoming the decision, ASMI regional coordinator Dr. Zeeshan Bagwan told HT, "This is a welcome move but we urge the government to discuss the issue with ASMI before issuing a final government resolution on the matter."

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