When we talk about healthcare and different constraints it possesses, then the most important part of healthcare is the services in rural areas but beckons to be the most underrated one. It is the shortage of enviable medical services in rural areas which are required for overall growth of healthcare sector. On this line, recently, the Govt of Gujarat in the Assembly supposedly admitted that from last two years their tally of money for bond service is enormously growing. More than 1,490 MBBS doctors who have graduated from govt medical colleges have chosen to pay bond money rather than working in rural areas. They further clarified that in the last two years, they have earned Rs 21.85 crore through the bond collection. As per the govt rules, MBBS students of govt medical colleges are required to complete a bond service in rural areas for a particularly set number of years otherwise they have to pay an amount as dues. In Gujarat, it is either 5 years of rural service or 5 lakhs of compensation. The number has dramatically increased in the last two years, as in 2009 to 2014, the number was much lower with a collection of 15.68 crores. So, according to govt officials, such numbers are a reflection that students mostly prefer to pay bond money and opt out of the rural postings. According to the health minister, doctors are keen to choose a private practice, and many consider shifting to foreign countries for further studies or practice, on top of that many doctors aren’t born and bought up in rural areas, so they are reluctant to join these areas which subsequently leads to shortage of doctors. However, in the end, doctors couldn’t be blamed primarily as the faculty appointment process, due dates and processes followed in appointments take months to reach to them. It is not easy for any upcoming or leading doctor to wait for these letters, so they eventually join the private practice or think about any other option. Secondly, lack of facilities like support staff, basic diagnostic tools and other medical tools can be the reasons that doctors potentially defer practicing in rural areas. Source- DNA India Do you think, doctors’ decisions are justified based on the scenario of rural areas? Should govt implement better and quick plans for doctors so they don’t opt out of rural service?