Rural health services to be hit if doctors go for PG courses: West Bengal Govt tells High Court

The bench was hearing an appeal filed by the state government, challenging a State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) order that said it had to release 10 per cent of the available doctors working at various government-run hospitals in the state for post-graduate courses.

The hearing in the matter was concluded today and the order was reserved by the bench.

Appearing for the state, counsel Amitesh Banerjee submitted that rural health care services in the state would be in jeopardy if 10 percent of the available MBBS doctors were allowed to go for higher studies as 37 rural health centers had only one doctor each, while 23 others had two each.

He told the court that 180 seats were available for post-graduate courses in the medical colleges of the state for 2018 and the names of 196 candidates were released as per the merit list, with a waiting list of 16 candidates.

Challenging the list, 105 in-service doctors, whose names appeared in the merit list after the said 196 names, had moved the SAT.

With the SAT having ordered that 10 percent of the available MBBS doctors working at the state-run healthcare facilities be allowed to pursue higher studies, the government moved the appeal before the high court.