Dehradun:
Mandatory Service Bond before PG :
Facing persistent shortages of doctors in remote healthcare centres, the Uttarakhand health department is drafting a new policy that would make it mandatory for MBBS graduates to complete five years of government service bond before they can pursue postgraduate (PG) medical studies.
The proposed rule of service bond — which will apply to MBBS graduates from any state seeking to join Uttarakhand’s government health services — aims to plug chronic staffing gaps in primary and secondary care facilities, officials said.
According to senior health department officials, the state has around 1,600 sanctioned MBBS posts, of which approximately 1,450 are officially shown as filled. However, the ground reality remains starkly different. Several remote centres continue to operate with minimal or no medical officers, leading to disruptions in essential services.
A senior doctor, requesting anonymity, said many newly recruited MBBS doctors either resign within months of joining or quietly pursue PG studies while drawing a government salary, resulting in prolonged absenteeism.
“Some doctors join only to leave soon after. Others disappear into postgraduate programs while remaining on the payroll. This directly affects patient care in already vulnerable regions,” the doctor said.
The idea of enforcing a mandatory service bond term was first floated by state health minister Dhan Singh Rawat.
Explaining the rationale, Dr Sunita Tamta, Director General of Health Services, said, “This clause will ensure that anyone joining the department does so after careful thought. It will apply to candidates from any part of the country who wish to work in Uttarakhand’s government health services.”
Earlier, the government had also suggested a proposal requiring postgraduate medical students to serve a two-year tenure in Uttarakhand, but that policy is still pending.
Both the two-year PG service clause and the newly drafted five-year MBBS service bond requirement will come into effect only after cabinet approval.
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