Chennai: MBBS students in Tamil Nadu entered the seventh day of protests over the Centre's proposal to extend their course by a year, which would entail four months of rural internship, four months at a town and four months as a trainee in a city with Rs 8,000 a month as stipend.
“Most students are from the lower socio-economic classes so they are studying on educational loans. If the course is extended by a year it'll mean they'll have to pay more interest on it,” MBBS student VA Sharon said.
Another point of concern for the doctors is that if the rule comes into place, rural health services would suffer, and doctors would be eventually replaced by trainees.
“Doctors in rural areas are paid Rs 18,000 a month while trainees will get Rs 8,000. We are worried that the government will increase the number of trainees and slowly remove permanent doctors from rural areas as it is cheaper for them,” MBBS Student Vikram Vignesh said.
However, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss says that a committee is already looking into the students’ worries.
“A committee has been set up by Dr Sambasiva Rao to look into the matter and talk to students and doctors. I don't understand why students must continue protests like this,” Ramadoss said.
Meanwhile, students say their protests will continue until the Centre gives in. And even the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's assurance that he would write to the Centre about the doctors’ concerns is not good enough.
Doctors of the Indian Medical Association, too, have rallied behind these students. They say that if the Government doesn't listen to their concerns about 1.75 lakh doctors will jump into the fray and protest along with them.
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