Otherwise, they are liable to pay a penalty of Rs 50 lakh, according to an order issued last week by Ladakh’s Health and Medical Education Department.

KARGIL, JUNE 28: Faced with an acute shortage of doctors, the administration in Ladakh has modified its government service policy and made it mandatory for those who get admission in medical colleges in Jammu Kashmir and elsewhere in the country against seats reserved for Ladakh to compulsorily serve in the UT for a minimum five years after completing the five-year MBBS course.

Otherwise, they are liable to pay a penalty of Rs 50 lakh, according to an order issued last week by Ladakh’s Health and Medical Education Department.

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To meet the shortage of doctors in Ladakh, the J&K administration allots certain seats in MBBS/PG degree, DNB/PG diploma and paramedical in clinical and non-clinical courses across Jammu and Kashmir. Besides this, the UT is also allocated 6 to 7 MBBS seats out of the Central pool by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare every year.

Illustrating the shortage, Principal Secretary, Health, Dr Pawan Kotwal said that at present, 44 per cent positions of medical officers in Ladakh are vacant, and less than 100 out of 175 sanctioned medical officers are working in the UT.

To address this shortfall, from the ongoing academic session, every candidate who avails of the Central pool or J&K pool of MBBS seats meant for Ladakh will have to execute a compulsory service bond in favour of Ladakh administration that she/he will serve in the UT for a minimum of five years, failing which he/she will pay Rs 50 lakh, the order stated. The original bond will be submitted to the Director, Health Services, Ladakh, it added.

In the case of a PG course, the compulsory service period is fixed at three years. However, in case of failure to serve the stipulated period mentioned in the bond, the candidate will have to pay Rs 50 lakh to the Ladakh administration, according to the order. On successful completion of a medical course other than MBBBS or PG, the candidate will have to serve in the UT for a minimum of two years, and if she/he fails to do so, will have to pay Rs 45 lakh to the administration, the order stated.

Kotwal said this compulsory government service bond is to be executed only by candidates who avail the Central and J&K pool seats that are filled on the basis of Ladakh-specific merit list, and not those who get admission on all-India or J&K medical entrance examinations.