Following Maharashtra’s decision to abolish the mandatory medical bond policy, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged the Gujarat government to follow suit.
Under the existing policy, medical students admitted through government quota or schemes are required to serve one year in rural areas after completing their graduation. However, the policy has drawn criticism due to long delays in bonded-service postings.
Sources said the government is expected to issue postings soon after students complete their course or internship, but recruitment of permanent Class-II Medical Officers and Class-I Specialist Doctors through the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) has resulted in delays ranging from six months to a year.
These delays have affected many graduates planning to pursue postgraduate and super-speciality courses, as completion of rural service is often a mandatory requirement for admission.
The IMA has argued that since the government has failed to provide timely bonded-service postings, the policy has lost its purpose and should be scrapped in Gujarat, as has been done in Maharashtra.