Shillong, May 16 : The Meghalaya health and family welfare department has issued fresh reminders to eight state-sponsored MBBS students who have refused to join the state health services after completing their studies.
The health department had executed bonds of Rs 25 lakh each to state-sponsored MBBS students on the condition that they should serve in any rural area of the state for a minimum of five years.
The bond amount was hiked from time to time keeping in mind that nearly 108 MBBS students had in the past failed to report back to the health department after completing their studies.
A notice issued by the state health and family welfare department today named eight MBBS students from 2000 to 2004 batches, who had failed to join the state health services.
They are Moumita Acharjee from Hawakhana, Tura, West Garo Hills, Manish Kumar Mathur from the headquarters of the director-general of Assam Rifles, Shillong, Pallavi Borah from police reserve, Shillong, Partho Protem Baruah from Laitumkhrah, Shillong, Madhuri Gupta from Happy Valley, Shillong, Rajesh Kr Mishra from Tura, West Garo Hills, Malavika Panda from town and country planning quarter, Malki, Shillong, and Bapukan G. Momin from Rongjeng, East Garo Hills.
The health department said these students had failed to respond to the showcause notice issued to them from time to time.
The reminder said these students should report to the health department and join the Meghalaya health services, failing which necessary action would be taken without further notice.
The bond amount was hiked to Rs 25 lakh in 2010 from Rs 10 lakh to ensure that the doctors return to the state.
The bond amount for batches from 1975 was Rs 5,000. It was fixed at Rs 2 lakh in 2000. The amount was subsequently raised to Rs 10 lakh.
Despite this, many doctors refunded the bond amount as they were not willing to return to the state and serve in the rural areas.
This prompted the government to further hike the amount to Rs 25 lakh in 2010.
There are some state-sponsored MBBS students who are pursuing higher studies without giving any information to the state health department.
An official of the health department said these students could not excuse themselves for higher studies without intimating the matter to the department.
Deputy chief minister Rowel Lyngdoh, who holds the health portfolio, admitted that the rural areas of the state were hit by shortage of doctors.
He said the MBBS students who availed the state quota should come back to the state after completing studies. This would address the problem of shortage of doctors, he added.
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