§ MR. KETTLE (Tyrone, E.)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware of the difficulties in the path of capable Indians desirous of presenting themselves at the competitive examination for the Indian Medical Service held in England, and of the disadvantages under which they are placed as compared with the people of this country; and what steps he proposes to take in order to remove these disabilities from the people of India, and to afford them reasonable opportunities for rising in the medical service of their country.
I beg also to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the professors of the Medical College, and the physicians and surgeons at the General Hospital, Madras, are military officers attached to the Indian Medical Service and lent to the civil authorities; whether medical gentlemen outside the ranks of this service are debarred from filling those posts, and are allowed to serve only in subordinate ranks; whether he is aware of the discontent amongst members of the subordinate service, owing to their being shut off from the higher appointments for want of a commission in the Army; and whether he proposes to make any recommendations to the Government of India on the subject.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. BUCHANAN,) Perthshire, E.The professors of the Medical College, and the physicians and surgeons of the General Hospital, Madras, are at present officers of the Indian Medical Service, which is recruited for both military and civil duty. Medical officers outside that service are not shut off from higher appointments, although in practice they seldom attain the highest posts. The Secretary of State does not consider the present condition of the matter to be satisfactory, and is in communication 1568 with the Government of India as to the desirability of promoting the growth of an independent medical profession in India, and of extending the employment of civil medical practitioners recruited in India.
§ MR. KETTLEIs it a fact that at present Indian gentlemen who wish to join the Indian Medical Service have to come to London for the examination?
§ MR. BUCHANANIf they intend to join the Indian Medical Service the candidates have all got to come to this country for their examination.
§ MR. KETTLEasked whether the Secretary of State for India would include some reform in regard to this matter in the general scheme of Indian reforms.
§ MR. BUCHANANI have no doubt that is included in the inquiries of the Secretary of State.