Delhi Imposes 1-Year Bond, Doctors See Red

New Delhi: While doctors across the country are raising voices demanding the abolishment of bonds in their states, the nation's capital, considered an ideal working place, has now announced the imposition of a one-year bond.

The move has met strong opposition from the medical fraternity who have termed this as draconian and a promotion of enslavement and forcing them to work in different district hospitals that do not have the basic facilities. 

The announcement of the bond came yesterday through a gazette notification, which stated that all the UG and PG students, after completing their respective courses, will have to serve the medical institutes under GNCT of Delhi for one year or forfeit the Rs 15 lacs bond (Undergraduate course) and Rs 20 lacs bond (Post Graduate Course) submitted during admission. This service bond condition will be applicable from the next academic session.

Announcing the bond service conditions, the notification issued by Delhi Health and Family Welfare Department on 19.09.2024 stated, "The Hon'ble Lt. Governor, Delhi is pleased to introduce a one-year Service Bond for All India Quota and State Quota Undergraduate and Postgraduate medical students after completion of their course (including internship period) in the medical institutions of Delhi, wherein the students passing out of the Undergraduate/Post Graduate (including super-speciality course), would be mandatorily required to serve in the medical institutions under GNCT of Delhi for a period of One year."

"The UG/PG students would be required to furnish a bond of Rs 15 lacs for Undergraduate Course and Rs 20 lacs for Post Graduate courses (including super-speciality courses) at the time of admission in the respective Medical College/Institution which will stand forfeited in case the student wants to opt out of the Mandatory Service period," it further mentioned.

As per the bond conditions, the MBBS graduates will be adjusted against the post of JRs and the PG medical graduates will be adjusted against the post of SRs and they will be paid and equivalent amount of stipend paid to JRs/SRs (with appropriate increment for Super Speciality Courses).

The notification further mentioned that the UG and PG medical graduates would be adjusted against the already available vacant posts of Junior Residents/Senior Residents available in the various hospitals or in diverted capacity in other Hospitals as per the requirement of the H&FW Department. The requirement of additional posts of JRs/SRs, if required to be created, will be assessed by a Screening Committee under the Chairmanship of Dean, MAMC after assessing the already available posts in various hospitals of GNCTD including the Society Hospitals. 

"Such additional posts if required would be created in the concerned medical colleges/institutions where the courses are provided, from where the services of these JRs/SRs may be deployed in the various hospitals of GNCT of Delhi in diverted capacity," stated the notification. 

This one-year Compulsory Service Bond will be applicable from the next academic session and till such time as the Service Bond comes into force, the existing students, after completion of their UG and PG medical courses, will be voluntarily offered the first chance of work on the vacant posts of JR/SR in various Hospitals under the GNCT of Delhi as per the remuneration prescribed above.

Doctors Strongly Oppose Move: 

The members of the medical fraternity have strongly opposed the announcement of the compulsory bond service condition in Delhi. Commenting on the matter, Dr. Rohan Krishnan, a Health Activist and a Patron of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) told Medical Dialogues, "Bond Policy system is now in the process of being abolished all across the country as several States have started doing away with this police. At such a time, by introducing bond policy system, Delhi has set a very negative example because this system is being removed on a pan-India basis."

"Another thing is that the doctors who come to Delhi to pursue DM/MCh, they want to work at bigger hospitals after completing their courses. This is because the smaller hospitals lack the adequate infrastructure to support these doctors. Recently a committee suggested that there are several deficiencies in the Delhi hospitals. Instead of working for these deficiencies, Delhi has imposed a bond policy to send the doctors to such hospitals and make them responsible for the lack of infrastructure," he further added.

Terming this move as "despicable", Dr. Aviral Mathur, the President of Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) said, "Delhi has long been a beacon of how things should be in medical education- With no bond and high and respectable pays. But this is a regressive step."

"Delhi colleges are premier colleges and crème de la crème of the students come and study here. Imposing financial penalties on them is unfair. Also, seldom the posts for doctors in Delhi are vacant- almost everyone wants to come here and work! Then what was the need. Serves virtually no purpose," he added.

"Instead of forcing doctors into mandatory service under threat of financial penalties, the government should focus on creating incentives—fair pay, better working conditions, and professional growth opportunities—to encourage voluntary service in public healthcare. Forced labor in the name of public service only breeds resentment and pushes talent away from the system," said Dr. Suvrankar Datta, the President of FAIMA Doctors' Association.

"We stand firmly against this coercive practice and urge governments to rethink this approach. If these bonds continue, there will be no choice but to raise our voices in protest. We will decide our plan of action in our next excutive body meeting after discussion with all RDAs," he added.

Dr. Lakshya Mittal, the President of United Doctors’ Front Association (UDFA) opined that this bond policy burdens the students with massive financial penalties and it is “both exploitative and regressive”.

“Instead of addressing the root causes of the healthcare crisis—such as improving infrastructure and working conditions in public hospitals—the government has chosen to penalize those who have dedicated their lives to public service. Forcing young doctors into compulsory service, without any consultation or consideration for their career aspirations, is not only unjust but also counterproductive,” he added.

UDFA has demanded the immediate revocation of the service bond and urged the government to engage with the medical community to create fair, sustainable solutions that “empower, rather than exploit” the doctors.

NMC Stand- Bond against Mental Health: 

Delhi Government has announced the compulsory service bond at a time when the National Medical Commission (NMC) recently announced its opinion against the imposition of seat-leaving and compulsory rural service bonds.

In its report, the 'National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students', which was set up by NMC, opined that both the seat-leaving bonds and compulsory rural service bonds should be abolished.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that as an alternative to compulsory rural service bond, the Task Force had recommended transitioning it from compulsory service to a system of positive incentives such as paying higher fees for service in rural areas, granting grace marks, providing reservations in PG or super-specialization seats for completing rural service etc.

Also Read: Abolish seat leaving, compulsory rural service bonds instead give positive incentives: NMC task force on mental health