The Karnataka Legislative Council has passed an amendment making rural service mandatory for doctors, nurses, and medical staff
Introducing the Bill, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that for years, many doctors, nurses, and Group D staff have continued to serve in the same urban hospitals, while rural hospitals struggled with inadequate manpower. Whenever transfer orders were issued, several employees approached the courts to obtain stay orders, preventing their relocation. This practice, he said, created an imbalance in healthcare delivery between cities and villages.
Box: The new amendment makes it mandatory for doctors and other medical staff who have served long years in one place to undertake rural service, particularly at the time of promotions. The Bill also stipulates that employees who have completed the maximum service tenure in Bengaluru’s four designated zones—A, B, C, and D—must be transferred to rural areas.
However, exemptions have been provided for certain categories. Specialists will be retained in identified posts, while doctors with young children and those nearing retirement will be spared mandatory transfers.
The Minister informed the House that counseling-based transfers have already been conducted for about 500 doctors and other staff. He stressed that the move is intended to bring transparency, ensure fair distribution of staff, and strengthen rural healthcare.
With members expressing unanimous support, the Bill was passed in the Legislative Council.
