SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 6: On the pattern of MBBS students, the health department has made a one-year Internship mandatory for the students of the state government-owned Para Medical Institutes.
Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of Health A K Singh has, in this regard, issued a notification. Now para medical students would have to complete one one-year internship (mandatory service) at a government hospital after they pass out from a government institute.
During the Internship period, the students of the two-year Para medical course would be given Rs 12,000 per month while students of one-year course would get Rs 10,000 per month.
As per the notification, in case any pass-out Para medical student does not complete one-year Internship (fails to give service in a hospital) he/ she would have to pay a penalty of Rs 1 lakh.
The notification is being implemented from the current academic session 2023. A student who turns up for admission has to fill up a bond for the one-year mandatory service in the state after completing the course.
One-year Internship choice is also being offered to the passed-out students of the government institutes.
If a student completes an Internship, he would get two points in the appointment to a government job.
For MBBS students of the government medical colleges, the state government has already made (in 2018) three years of service in the state mandatory. As per guidelines, if any MBBS student after passing out or during the course leaves the institution mid-way he/she would have to pay a penalty of Rs 20 lakh.
Course Coordinator of Government Para Medical Institute, Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH) Dhanbad Dr Ganesh Kumar, when contacted on Wednesday, admitted to having received the letter from the health department regarding one-year Internship of passed out Para medical students.
“Admission is under progress and we are taking bonds of students who come for the course,” said Dr Ganesh.
The Jharkhand Para Medical Staff Association(JPMSA) has welcomed the decision of the health department. JPMSA secretary Raju Mahto said that the association had been demanding the Internship for a long time. Kudos goes to the ACS Health for implementing the demand.
A senior officer of the health department said that one year mandatory service for para-medical students would leave a long-term impact on the state. It would help the department to get rid of hiring outsourcing staff at Sadar Hospitals as well as medical colleges in the state as every year hundreds of para-medical students would be available to provide service under the Internship policy.
