J&K doctors demand service bond after post-graduation

Srinagar, Oct 28: Doctors and medical students in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday said that they are in a crisis situation as J&K is the only state in the country lacking service bond for its postgraduates.
Post graduate students in J&K said before 2022, all post-graduation seats through NEET-PG exam in J&K were reserved for domiciles of Jammu and Kashmir.
“But since 2022, 50 percent of post-graduation seats through NEET-PG are pooled into the All India quota like all other states of India while only 50 percent are reserved for J&K students and from that only 37 percent are for open merit,” said Dr Ali from Srinagar.
As per doctors, the issue has unfairly affected the Jammu and Kashmir healthcare system and NEET-PG aspirant doctors is the lack of service bond after post-graduation.
“Every state in India has a service bond period which the post-graduation student has to serve after completing degree. It ranges from 1 year in Gujarat to 10 years in Assam,” he said.
Effectively Jammu and Kashmir is the only state without a service bond making it a lucrative place for students from different parts of the country to come and do their PG from and leave after 3 years and avoid the bond service in their state.
They said the lack of service bond is affecting the healthcare system and the careers of many junior doctors from the state who are finding it hard to get a post graduate seat now as effectively all these 50% seats are taken by non-domiciles from different parts of our country.
“If someone from UP is getting MS gynaecology and obstetrics branch at their NEET-PG rank in their own state they will not prefer their own state but will rather come to Jammu and Kashmir because UP has a service bond of 3 years thus saving their 3 years,” he said.
The young doctor described it as an impending crisis, noting that they are losing 50% of potential specialists who leave the state, and warned that the situation will worsen in the coming years.
“We the NEET PG aspirant doctors of Jammu and Kashmir want a service bond to be implemented like every other state in India which we will be ready and glad to serve in our state,” Dr Ali said.
However, the Secretary Health and Medical Education and Health Minister did not respond to repeated phone calls from Rising Kashmir.