Central Health service doctors availing 36 months of study leave need to serve govt for 5 years: Health Minister
Bond Service
New Delhi: The Union Minister of State for Health, Smt Anupriya Patel, informed the Lok Sabha that the central health service doctors, who avail 36 months of study leave, need to execute a bond undertaking to serve the Government for five years after expiry of the leave.
Minister Patel provided this clarification while responding to the queries raised by MP Dr. Dharamvira Gandhi, who sought to know whether the Government has any policy in place to fill vacancies and ensure retention after registrations by bonded specialist doctors across the country.
In response, the Minister informed that the respective State/UT governments have their own policies regarding the recruitment and resignation of healthcare professionals, keeping in view the needs of the State.
However, the Minister informed that the doctors under Central Government service have to serve the Government for five years if they avail thirty-six months of study leave.
Also Read: Breaking News: NMC Asks States to do Away with Seat leaving Bond
The Minister informed, "However, for specialist doctors in Central Health Service, Union Public Service Commission conducts interviews for their recruitment and on the basis of recommendation of the Commission, appointments are made. Under CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972, the doctors availing thirty-six months of Study Leave, have to execute a bond undertaking to serve the Government for a period of five years after the expiry of leave."
According to the Minister, this bond policy helps in retaining specialist doctors during the bond period. She further added that there are several incentives in place to retain doctors in the Central Health Service, like relaxation in rules to avail Study leaves for three years instead of two years, EOL for higher study immediately after joining, Dynamic Assured Career Progression Scheme, Non-Practicing Allowance, Annual Allowance, etc.
The purpose of the service bond is to ensure that the doctors work for the State Government, especially in rural areas, for 1-5 years, after completing their medical education. Doctors violating the service bond conditions face huge penalties.
Back in 2019, the Supreme Court had directed the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI), now National Medical Commission NMC, and the Union Government to take suitable steps to ensure a uniform policy regarding the compulsory service to be rendered by the Doctors who are trained in government institutions.
Later, when a similar matter concerning service bonds reached the Madras High Court, the erstwhile MCI, before facing its replacement, had communicated with the Madras HC regarding setting a uniform policy for bond service.
Last year, aiming to ease the pressure on medical students, NMC had directed the State/UT governments to reconsider the seat leaving bond conditions for the PG medical students. Further, the Commission was reportedly also planning to relax the service bond conditions for postgraduate medical students.
