Tripura Health Secretary Kiran Gitte Defends Ban on Private Practice by AGMC and GB Pant Doctors, Says Decision Taken in Public Interest
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, June 25, 2026
The Tripura Government has defended its decision to prohibit private practice by doctors serving at the Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and Gobind Ballabh Pant (GB Pant) Hospital, stating that the move was taken after extensive consultations and is aimed at strengthening medical education and improving the quality of public healthcare.
Addressing the media, Health and Family Welfare Department Secretary Shri Kiran Gitte, IAS said the decision was approved by the Council of Ministers during its meeting on June 22, 2026, following detailed discussions with stakeholders and a careful assessment of best practices followed across the country.
Explaining the rationale behind the policy, Gitte noted that doctors serving in government medical colleges in several Indian states are either completely barred from private practice or allowed to do so only under strict restrictions. States such as Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra have imposed a complete ban on private practice by government doctors, while Kerala, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan restrict private practice for medical college faculty and doctors holding administrative positions.
He pointed out that when Agartala Government Medical College was established in 2005, there had been a proposal to prohibit private practice. However, the proposal could not be implemented at that time.
The Health Secretary also referred to the recommendations made by Dr. M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS, New Delhi, who visited AGMC and GB Pant Hospital in 2025 to assess the institutions with the objective of upgrading them into Centres of Excellence. According to Gitte, the AIIMS Director's report specifically recommended a complete ban on private practice by doctors working at AGMC and GB Pant Hospital to improve medical education standards and strengthen tertiary healthcare services.
Before taking the final decision, Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha held extensive consultations on June 21, 2026, with representatives of the All Tripura Government Doctors Association and the AGMC Teachers' Forum. According to the Health Department, both organizations unanimously supported the proposal to discontinue private practice by government doctors.
During the discussions, the associations also sought certain service benefits, including revision of Dearness Allowance based on Non-Practising Allowance (NPA), timely promotions, and enhanced academic and research support for faculty members.
Responding to these demands, the Council of Ministers approved a package of incentives. The government has sanctioned a 20 percent Non-Practising Allowance (NPA) on the basic pay of eligible doctors and also decided that Dearness Allowance (DA) would be calculated on both the basic pay and the NPA. The State Government is simultaneously working on amendments to the Tripura Medical Education Service Rules to create adequate faculty positions and ensure timely promotions.
Highlighting recent improvements in the healthcare sector, Gitte said the government has recruited a substantial number of faculty members, doctors, and senior residents in recent years to meet the growing academic and healthcare needs of AGMC and GB Pant Hospital. Contractual specialists have also been engaged to strengthen super-speciality services.
He expressed confidence that with doctors dedicating their full professional time to AGMC and GB Pant Hospital, the institutions would be in a stronger position to introduce super-speciality academic courses in the near future while significantly enhancing patient care.
The Health Secretary concluded by expressing optimism that the decision would lead to substantial improvements in both medical education and tertiary healthcare services, adding that doctors posted at AGMC and GB Pant Hospital have consistently demonstrated their commitment and dedication to serving the people of Tripura.
more news...