Modern Day Slavery!

Compulsory rural service for all medical students is soon going to be made into law with effect from the next academic year. I really empathize with all those unfortunate M.B.B.S students who are going to be subjected to this meaningless activity, in the name of "service".

Why meaningless?.. because its plain stupidity to expect a hapless, untrained medico, fresh out of M.B.B.S to be the backbone of healthcare for all the rural folk in this country. In short, we are taking our most inexperienced medical personnel to serve 75% of the Indian population!. That amounts to majority of our population being under-serviced as far as health care goes!. There is a clear discrimination of policy when it comes to tackling urban and rural healthcare. Even the proposed 4 year Master of Rural Health (MRH) is a clear violation of the rights of rural citizens to equitable health care like there urban counterparts.

Most of all, it is the poor medico who is going to be worst affected by these thoughtless rules. Not only is he called to serve in an environment of poor infrastructure, he has to sacrifice ties with his family, work for paltry sums of salary to get his degree.