Editorial
Physicians' aversion to remote areas
Disservice to rural people
The Prime Minister has echoed the concern of all by adding her own voice to it over doctors' unwillingness to serve in the rural areas. If that be the case who is going to attend to the poor in the villages and remote areas? The mindset of some of the doctors has been taken to such a ludicrous level that not to speak of shunning the villages, many of them even avoid going to remote towns and district headquarters.
And whereas it is mandatory for newly graduated government encadred physicians to serve an initial stint in the rural hospitals and clinics, the rule is often bent, or blatantly flouted, with impunity. And in many cases, the work places are visited on the first day of the month only to draw the salary.
This mindset, unfortunately, flies in the face of government's resolve effort to take health care to poor in the villages and outlaying areas of the country. It must be admitted that insofar as health service structure is concerned, our community clinics and rural health complexes are perhaps among the best in the region, but remain underutilised. What is lacking is adequate manning, both in specialist care and nursing service. The result is the inevitable, but avoidable, rush to hospitals in the towns and cities, particularly the capital.
Those that have sworn by the Hippocratic Oath to serve the physically distressed can hardly afford to choose their place of work. However, given the tendency as described, it is for the government to ensure that orders are complied with. We feel that sterner measures must be taken against the defaulters, at the same time those that work under difficult conditions in the remote areas of the country for any length of time be adequately rewarded.
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