Uttarakhand drafting new policy: mandatory 5 years of service after MBBS before joining PG courses : report

The Uttarakhand State Health Department is drafting a new policy that requires doctors to complete five years of service before they can join postgraduate (PG) medical courses.

This rule will apply to MBBS graduates from anywhere in India who wish to join the Uttarakhand State Government’s health sector.

The government observed that a significant number of doctors were leaving government jobs early (“quietly exiting”) to pursue PG studies, leading to instability in the workforce.

The primary goal is to ensure an adequate number of doctors are available in remote primary and secondary healthcare centers.

The policy aims to plug recurring staff shortages in facilities that have been strained for years due to the absence of MBBS doctors.