Bond violation by docs can’t be appreciated: HC

CHENNAI: Holding that the postgraduate (PG) doctors after undergoing medical specialty courses and refusing to work in government hospitals have resulted in their shortage, the Madras High Court refused to relieve doctors from bond service.

The reluctance of the doctors is infringing the fundamental rights of the poor and needy patients, pointed out the court. Refusing to work in government hospitals and violating bond conditions cannot be appreciated, since the medical profession is a noble, wrote Justice SM Subramaniam while dismissing the writ petitions seeking to cancel the bond.

The government spends more than Rs 2 crore to train a postgraduate student, wrote the judge.

“If such an attitude of doctors is allowed, it will encourage their approach of not paying attention to those poor people at whose expense they have been educated, which is opposed to the public interest and unacceptable,” read the judgment.

Further, the judge also expressed his displeasure over the government reducing the bond period from two years to one year. “The services of the PG doctors are to be utilised to the optimum level for the welfare of the patients,” the judgment mentioned.

Petitioners S Shana Priyanka, Bayya A Bharatji Babu, and K Ambika moved the HC seeking to direct the State to relieve them from bond service and return all the original certificates.

The counsel for the petitioners submitted that they served during the COVID-19 pandemic period, which is also to be reckoned to calculate two years of service, and sought to cancel the bond service.

However, the judge refused and wrote that the petitioners have admittedly signed the bond by accepting the terms and conditions, hence they are not entitled to claim any concession for further reduction. “Therefore, the petitioners have to serve in government medical colleges and hospitals as per the bond conditions,” stated the judgment.