KOLKATA: To address the "shortage" of doctors in the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam to investigate the feasibility of launching a diploma programme for doctors along the lines of engineering diplomas.
At a review meeting for "Utkarsh Bangla" on Thursday, she stated, "Please find out if we can begin a diploma course for doctors, just like we have for engineers. Then many children would then have the opportunity to study medicine through diploma programmes.
She ordered the health secretary to organise a committee to consider the legal issues of such diploma courses to train more doctors for primary healthcare facilities, highlighting the need to address the lack of doctors and nurses in hospitals. The CM also requested that the officials investigate the possibility of opening 100 additional nurse training facilities in the state.
"The doctors must now finish the five-year curriculum required for a standard MBBS course. They must retake their courses before joining as junior doctors. The quantity of seats, hospitals, and patients has increased. A successful outcome will result from having diploma doctors cover primary health centres concurrently. This will meet the population's growing need for doctors, Mamata questioned Health Secretary N S Nigam.
She also said that by instituting diplomas, it will be possible to fill the doctor deficit at primary health facilities by hiring those with diplomas as practitioners.
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