West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s proposal to start a diploma course for doctors has sparked controversy in the state. The proposal was made on Thursday at the state secretariat Nabbanna, where Banerjee suggested that a new course could be designed specifically for doctors who will work in primary healthcare centres.
Banerjee said, “Let’s see if we can start a Diploma course for Doctors. Like an engineering diploma course. Then a lot of kids can get an opportunity to be doctors through a diploma Course. The Original doctors I am getting in the state, have their course time constraints. They have to study for a long time. They study At the time they work as junior doctors in hospitals. Parallely, since MBBS seats are increasing, medical college numbers are increasing, bed numbers in hospitals are increasing, and the population is increasing, so if we can make a diploma course through which we can help the primary health infrastructure in Bengal. We can cover the area through these people. I think it will give good results.”
Banerjee’s proposal has come under fire from many in the medical community, who say that such a course would be insufficient to train doctors for primary healthcare centres. Some doctors have also expressed concerns that this could lead to a dilution of medical standards and said that this would come under dearness allowance and is a way to remove the public healthcare system in the state.
The protestors allege, “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is seriously trying to remove the system of the government health system and also the permanent doctors because state exchequer doesn’t have money.”
Critics argue that instead of starting a new diploma course, the state government should focus on improving the existing medical infrastructure in the state and providing better training for doctors. They also point out that there are already several programs available to train doctors for primary healthcare centers, and that the government should focus on promoting these programs.
However, supporters of Banerjee’s proposal argue that the diploma course could help address the shortage of doctors in rural and remote areas, where many primary healthcare centres are understaffed. They also say that the course could help provide better healthcare services to people living in these areas.
The controversy over Banerjee’s proposal comes at a time when the healthcare sector in the state is already facing several challenges.
Overall, the proposal to start a diploma course for doctors has stirred a debate about the best way to address the shortage of doctors in primary healthcare centres in West Bengal. It remains to be seen how the state government will respond to the criticism and whether the proposal will ultimately be implemented.
