Mention the main causes of non-availability of doctors in rural areas.

Causes for the Non-Availability of Doctors in Rural Areas:

The chronic reluctance of qualified doctors to serve in rural and remote postings stems from deep-rooted professional, social, and structural deterrents:

• Lack of Social Infrastructure & Quality of Life: Absence of quality English-medium schools for children, reliable electricity, piped water, decent family housing, and civic amenities in rural blocks.
• Professional Stagnation & Career Bottlenecks: Lack of advanced medical diagnostic equipment, intensive care units (ICUs), and specialist mentors in rural PHCs/CHCs leads to atrophy of clinical surgical skills.
• Incentive Deficits & Low Remuneration: Inadequate rural hardship allowances compared to lucrative corporate hospitals and private practice opportunities in metropolitan cities.
• Postgraduate Aspirations (NEET-PG): Young MBBS graduates prefer urban coaching hubs to prepare for PG medical entrance exams rather than spending years in remote rural PHCs.
• Security & Social Isolation Concerns: Hostility, political interference by local elites, and lack of security personnel in rural health centres during night duties (especially for female doctors).