New Delhi: Government provides incentives like "hard area allowance" to doctors serving in rural areas so that they find it "attractive" to serve in those places, Health Minister J P Nadda said.

"Under National Health Mission (NHM), support is provided to states and UTs to strengthen healthcare systems, including for engaging of doctors on contractual basis, based on the requirements in their Programme Implementation Plans," Nadda said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

"Support under NHM is provided for multi-skilling of doctors (through trainings like LSAS, EmoC), provision of incentives like hard area allowance to doctors for serving in rural and remote areas and construction of residential quarters so that they find it attractive to serve in such areas," he said.

In order to encourage doctors to work in remote and difficult areas, he said the Medical Council of India (MCI) with the approval of Centre, has amended the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000.

The amendments have been done to provide 50 per cent reservation in Post Graduate Diploma courses for medical officers in the government service who have served for at least three years in remote and difficult areas.

It also includes incentive at the rate of 10 per cent of marks obtained for each year in service in remote or difficult areas up to a maximum of 30 per cent of the marks obtained in the entrance test for admissions in Post Graduate Medical Courses, Nadda said.