West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asked the State Health Department to consider a proposal to start a shorter diploma course for medical practitioners. The remark sparked a row with political parties in the Opposition and doctors’ association raising strong objections.
“Can we start a diploma course for doctors, like engineers? A number of boys and girls will get a chance (to study medicine). It takes a long time for doctors to graduate ( under five-year degree); they have to study and work in a hospital,” Ms. Banerjee said, addressing a meeting at the State Secretariat.
The Chief Minister said that since the number of hospitals, medical colleges and beds were increasing, a “parallel system” can be created for practitioners who will run primary health centres. Ms. Banerjee asked officials of the State Health Department to look into a proposal for creation of a three-year diploma course.
Manas Gupta, general secretary of the Association of Health Service Doctors said that doctors were responsible for the lives of the patients they treated, and doctors with diplomas would cause a huge problem in the health sector.
State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said that across different sectors from school education to health, the Trinamool Congress government had failed and the people would not give Mamata Banerjee a chance to implement such ideas.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister also directed officials to fill all vacancies in the State police in the next three months . She said that instead of a month’s training , the new recruits could be engaged in a police station after seven days of training and could learn on the job.
“It is taking a long time for the doctors to graduate; they have to study and work in a hospital”Mamata BanerjeeWest Bengal Chief Minister
