The much awaited H1N1 vaccines are finally expected to be launched in India in the first week of April 2010.Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday said that starting January 2010, India will conduct a two-month trial of the vaccine on 100 people hailing from different climatic conditions, before making it available to the general public.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the modernised MS Ramaiah Medical Teaching Hospital on Friday.
Azad said that for the first time ever, changes have been made to the Medical Council of India (MCI) guidelines.
“In India, the doctor and patient ratio is 1:1,600. The ideal ratio is one doctor for every 500 patients. To set right this imbalance, the health ministry and the MCI have jointly effected certain changes to the MCI guidelines, which will help increase the number of specialists, super specialists and medical colleges in India,” Azad said.
He added that the National Rural Health Mission is also suffering due to lack of doctors.
“Doctors are unwilling to work in the rural sector, where their services are much needed. Henceforth, medical graduates who work in the rural sector for one year will earn an additional 10% in any national entrance exam they appear for. Accordingly, those who work for two years will earn an additional score of 20%, while those who have served for three years will earn an additional 30%,” he said.
He added that the doctors who work in the rural sector for three years will also earn a 50% reservation in postgraduate diploma courses.
Measures are also being taken to add about 4,000 specialists and 700 super- specialists each year, by increasing the professor and student ratio at the postgraduate-level from the current 1:1 to 1:2.
Also, the Centre will tie up with the state governments to open about 260 nursing colleges across India that will help add 20,000 nurses each year to cater to the shortage.
Also, private medical colleges that have completed three years will be eligible to start postgraduate courses in certain streams, as against the earlier eligibility which required a college to complete five and a half years.
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