AGMC doctors temporarily resume private practice with notification on ban awaited

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, July 8, 2026

Doctors and faculty members of the Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and GB Pant Hospital have temporarily resumed private practice as the Tripura government is yet to issue a detailed notification enforcing its decision to ban private practice by doctors of the state's premier referral hospital.

The doctors had suspended private practice after the cabinet approved the ban, but resumed consultations following a decision by the AGMC Teachers' Forum, which said the arrangement would continue until the government issues the notification.

An office-bearer of the forum said doctors were given the option to either permanently discontinue private practice or continue until the order is formally issued. While some have resumed consultations, others have shut their private chambers permanently.

Before implementation of the ban, doctors had sought structural reforms, including better pay and allowances, a transparent promotion policy and amendments to the Medical Education Service Rules. Super-specialist doctors had also expressed reservations over the decision.

Chief Minister Manik Saha recently reiterated that the government would implement the ban, saying it was based on recommendations of an AIIMS team that visited Agartala under an institutional MoU.

The proposed ban has triggered mixed reactions, with some questioning why doctors in other state-run hospitals are not covered by the decision. Meanwhile, patient footfall at GB Pant Hospital has increased following the suspension of private practice by many doctors.

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