SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 5: The Jharkhand chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has protested the ban on the private practice of government doctors and has asked Chief Minister Hemant Soren to withdraw the order immediately.
IMA State President Dr AK Singh and Secretary Dr Pradip Kumar Singh on Friday shot off a letter to the chief minister saying that restricting doctors in a limited area from attending the patients is against medical ethics and will hit health services in the state badly.
“The then principal secretary K Vidyasagar in 2017 had banned private practice of government doctors but following the protest of IMA and in wake of requirement in the state, he assured that the order would be withdrawn. But the health department did not withdraw the order. After six years (July 27, 2022), the government has started implementing the same order,” said the president and secretary in a letter to the chief minister.
They also pointed out that in Jharkhand, barring RIMS Ranchi, the government doctors of state are free to do private practice. Since they are not paid the practice allowance, they can’t be banned from providing their service to patients in a private hospital. Doctors of RIMS are paid the non- practice allowance (NPA).
“The government order of debarring doctors from attending indoor patients in the private hospital seems nothing but a move to torture them. It is wrong and not in the interest of the state health services which is reeling under an acute shortage of doctors,” said Dr AK Singh and Dr Pradip Singh.
IMA president and secretary, in their letter, have pointed out that despite enhancing the retirement age to comply with the deficiencies of medical officers, no doctor is willing to join the health department. It is sheer injustice that on one side doctors are not paid NPA while on another side ban is being imposed on their practice. Many government doctors sacrificed their life in serving patients during the Corona pandemic but now they are banned for providing services to patients.
They have pointed out that poor patients were getting benefits from the Ayushman Bharat scheme but most of the private hospitals have stopped treatment due to heavy dues.
“Ironically, even RIMS Ranchi is allowed to take service of outside expert doctor in emergency for critical patients but a government doctor can’t treat as per the requirement of the serious patient in a private hospital after his/her duty hour at a government health centre,” they said.
