Bond rule taking toll on medicos; experts ask TS govt to reconsider

Bond rule taking toll on medicos; experts ask TS govt to reconsider
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Highlights

  • Dr Preethi’s death has led to a discussion on govt rule which prescribes students to issue a bond of Rs 50 lakh while they join the course
  • The students who join the PG course would have to work as senior residents for one year after completing the course. The college management takes Rs 50 lakh if they leave the course abruptly and Rs 20 lakh if they don’t honour the agreement to work as senior residents after the course. This makes the students to complete the course irrespective of how serious the harassment they had to face. However, some succumb to the harassment from their seniors

Hyderabad: Experts from the medical profession want the government to reconsider the rule of the bond of Rs 50 lakh, which is taken from medical students during their admission, stating that it is leading to stress among students because of pressure of studies and various other factors.

The death of PG medico student Dr Preethi has led to a discussion on the government rule which prescribes students to issue a bond of Rs 50 lakh while they join the course.

Speaking to the media, Dr Preethi's father, Narender, said she was subjected to harassment but was not willing to leave the PG seat. She cried and asked from where they could get Rs 20 lakh, he said. The students who join the PG course would have to work as senior residents for one year after completing the course. The college management takes Rs 50 lakh if they leave the course abruptly and Rs 20 lakh if they don't honour the agreement to work as senior residents after the course.

This makes the students to complete the course irrespective of how serious the harassment they had to face. However, some succumb to the harassment from their seniors. Dr Preethi's parents said this had happened with their daughter.

Hectic duty times were also some of the reasons which made the students leave the course. According to rules, PG medicos should work for 48 hours in a week, but sources said, the PG doctors in Warangal Kakatiya Medical College were working for 12 nights and 36-hour duty.

The bond system was introduced in 2014 when the management was facing loss with the seat blocking by the students. However, the students face various difficulties during the study such as change of interest in the course, which makes them shift. But they are bound with the bond.

The Healthcare Reforms Doctors' Association (HRDA) president K Mahesh Kumar said the incident of Dr Preethi could have been avoided if the Rs 50-lakh bond was not a hurdle, as per her father's statement. Many students were suffering with this bond, as they are not interested in that subject and not able to cope with hectic duties. The government must bring down the bond price to Rs 5 lakh or an affordable price so that the students, who cannot withstand the harassment, can leave the course. Also the one-year compulsory service period should be decreased to six months, he said.

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