Rural service must for doctors from July

BANGALORE: Starting July, medicos in the state will have to compulsorily serve in rural areas according to the new Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Medical Officers and Other Staff) Rules, 2011 Act.After amending the rules, the government has made it mandatory that all transfers will have to be undertaken through computerised counselling after which all doctors will compulsorily be asked to do time in rural areas.The Act also has made it mandatory for all medicos, who till now have not served in rural areas and are below 50 years of age, to compulsorily serve in rural areas.According to a senior official from the state Health Department, the enactment of the Act, however, will take place only by early July as a computerised database for counselling is still under construction.The Act has been in effect from May 12.Even as doctors support the new Act, they are opposed to transfer of 461 specialist doctors, who were earlier transferred as per High Court orders.“According to the department, it is a good Act. However, if the government again transfers the 461 specialists, who earlier were transferred as per High Court orders, we will oppose it and boycott the entire Act,” president of the Karnataka State Government Medical Officers’ Association, H N Ravindra, said.An official from the Health Department told Express that the transfer will be based on requirement and most PHCs in rural areas don’t require specialists.