Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has ruled that doctors who complete subsidised postgraduate medical courses at government institutions must serve the mandatory two-year bond in public hospitals.
A bench of Justices Shekhar B Saraf and Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary stressed that the bond ensures doctors’ availability in government facilities and protects patients’ right to life.
The order came in a petition by Dr Aparupa Sen Gupta, who argued her bond lapsed after the state failed to post her within three months of completing her MD at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow. The court rejected the plea, noting she had pursued a Post Doctoral Certificate Course (PDCC) under a government NOC that excluded the period from bond service.
While upholding the bond’s validity, the bench criticised the authorities for denying her participation in counselling for service postings, calling the process flawed.