Mangaluru : Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader said that with the State government getting ready to implement Karnataka Compulsory Service Training by Candidates Completed Medical Courses Act 2012, making rural service compulsory for medical doctors in the State, the timings of the PHCs in rural areas will be extended till 8 pm. At present, the PHCs function from 8 am to 4 pm.

Briefing mediapersons here on Wednesday, he said that if the Act is implemented in the current year, 6,675 MBBS doctors, 2,988 post graduate degree or diploma and 195 super specialists are expected to come out of various medical colleges. During the rural service, MBBS doctors will be posted as junior resident trainees and PG/Diploma graduates and super speciality graduates will be posted as senior resident trainees. For MBBS graduates, it was proposed to pay a stipend equal to Rs 100 less than the minimum gross salary of General Duty Medical Officers (GDMOs), in health and family welfare services that means Rs 54,889 per month, which amounts annually approximately Rs 440 crore. For PG diploma graduates, it was proposed to pay a stipend equal to Rs 100, less than the minimum gross salary of specialists in health and family welfare services that means Rs 59,680 per month which amounts annually to Rs 214 crore. For super speciality graduates, it was proposed to pay Rs 67,310 per month which would come around Rs five crore annually. “In total, annual additional burden would be Rs 660 crore. For the present year, we may require Rs 450 crore,” the Minister said.

At present, the State has 2,353 PHCs, 146 taluk hospitals, 206 Community Health Centres and 30 district hospitals. The making of rural service compulsory will help overcome the shortage of doctors in hospitals.

“The health department and medical education department will ratify the rules for the Karnataka Compulsory Service Training by Candidates Completed Medical Courses Act 2012, so that it will come into effect from this year itself. This service rule applies to all quotas of medical seats including NRI and management quotas in medical colleges. It has been decided to form a committee under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner in the district, MLA in each assembly segment to look into the implementation of the Act. Counselling will be carried out by the committee at the district-level to post the students for rural services. A road map will be prepared in this regard shortly.”

The Minister said that a sum of Rs 1.60 crore has been sanctioned to develop a road from Talapady via Durgaparameshwari temple-Pilikar Panjala on Keenya road.

Rs 2.50 crore has been sanctioned to develop a road from Deralakatte-Arkarpadpu-Mangalore University connecting Parande. DPR will be prepared shortly for the same.

To a query on bike ambulance not having riders, the Minister said that riders have been selected and trained. They will be posted shortly. “We will study the pros and cons of the bike ambulance for six months,” he added.

Stating that a state-level programme will be organised to mark World Yoga Day on June 21, the Minister said: “One should not look into Yoga from religious angle. It should be considered as a form of exercise to keep oneself healthy and sound.”

The Minister said that he will urge the State government to withdraw case against 70 to 80 persons who were booked aftermath of communal flare up in Mogaveerapattana in Ullal in 2014.

“The police had booked cases against people to ensure that the mob is controlled and the communal riot did not spread to other parts of the district. The real culprits will be tried in the court of law. However, innocents who were booked to curb the communal flare up needs to be withdrawn,” he added.