Lok Sabha Debates
Need To Stop Brain-Drain Of Doctors To Ensure Health Care To The Poor Patients In ... on 10 February, 2014
> Title: Need to stop brain-drain of doctors to ensure health care to the poor patients in the rural areas.
DR. RATNA DE (HOOGHLY): There has been shortage of doctors, particularly, in the rural areas, since long. But, of late, gap has widened due to the explosion of population in the country. Today, there is 1 doctor per 2,000 population. With population crossing 120 crores, the Government has to tackle this problem on a war footing.
In the urban areas, people are provided with the most modern medical facilities. But the situation is not so in the rural areas. People in the rural areas face the brunt as they have to travel long distance to get the medical treatment. There has been a talk of fresh graduate doctors to serve in the rural areas for a certain period, which should be implemented strictly.
Doctors receive every possible, conceivable facility and infrastructure to get training. Once they come out of the college, they go to foreign countries in search of greener pastures. This brain-drain should be stopped completely.
Under the circumstances, I would sincerely urge upon the Government to make effective steps on a war footing to stop this brain drain and make earnest efforts to provide minimum healthcare services to the needy and poor patients in the rural areas by improving the patient-doctor ratio immediately.