The State Government of Assam has turned up with a number of initiatives, together with an improved pay package and an obligatory one-year rural redeployment for postgraduate entrants- Satish Kumar Singh Today nobody wants to go to rural areas for any purpose. Even people don't want to visit their native place or village. Undoubtedly, we always say if you want to see real India you should go to villages. In spite of that people avoid villages. It reveals that we want to live in Utopia. We are not enough brave to see real India.
Interestingly, even media persons who are known as harbingers of society, never cover real story of remote area of villages. Government and other officials too keep away from spending day or night in rural areas.
Currently, rural assignments are nuisance for officials. Officials always try their best to stay away from such assignments.
Due to our careless attitude towards villages; villages are still neglected or under developed. We often hear about spread of deadly disease and death of a large number of people in rural areas. Now, such causalities are a regular feature.
In an offer to make sure doctors' attendance in pastoral and inaccessible areas, the State Government of Assam has turned up with a number of initiatives, together with an improved pay package and an obligatory one-year rural redeployment for postgraduate entrants.
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced this at a press conference on 3rd febuarary2009. He also said that these days over and done, doctors serving in six 'difficult' areas notified by the Government - Dhakuakhona, Jonai, Majuli, Sadiya, Mankachar (all subdivisions), and NC Hills and Karbi Anglong districts - would be permitted to a considerable hike in their pay package.
At the same time as a sub divisional medical officer (SDMO) would get an additional Rupees 7,000, a senior medical and health officer (SMHO), medical and health officer (MHO) and medical officer (Ayurvedic) stand to gain extra amounts of Rupees 5,000, Rupees 4,000 and Rupees 3,000 correspondingly.
Surrounded by the most important gainers would be high-quality doctors who would entertain an extra Rupees 6,000 over and above the incentives mentioned above.
Thus, while a specialist serving as SDMO would get a total hike of Rupees 13,000, an SMHO and an MHO (specialists) would enjoy an increase of Rupees 11,000 and Rupees 10,000 in that order.
Doctors helping underneath the national Rural Health Mission (NRHM) position to get a supplementary benefit of Rupees 8,000.
At the moment, Government had made it compulsory for postgraduate entrants to go through one-year unavoidable posting in rural areas. This will come into effect instantaneously, and any MBBS pass-out will have to undertake the rural posting in order to be entitled for pursuing post graduation in the State. But for this, the doctors would get a good compensation pack up for the duration of the rural posting.
Even, ASHA workers under the NRHM would get a fixed salary of Rupees 500 against a smallest amount presentation decisive factor. This will be in addition to the presented encouragement of Rupees 600 per institutional delivery.
Obviously, this decision of Assam state government is not beneficial for even those doctors who will be get benefited. In fact this is another form of bribe.
However, "Andher Nagri Chaupat Raja, Take ser bhaji, take ser khaja" is so pertinent in India. Anything may happen in this country.
Here government officials are so adamant. In Madhaya Pradesh, a few days ago Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had instructed all high profile government officials for staying at least one night at remote village of the state; despite this order, collector or other officials are spending their nights in air conditioned rooms.
Well, there is need of self motivation. Being a citizen of India, it is our duty to do our job honestly. Until or unless such type of spirit comes in our mind, any kind of inducement will not motivate us permanently.
Labels: assam, kalapani, Karbi Anglong
