Everyone does it in Tripura, so I do it
Jayanta Debnath
December 6, 2022, 11:15:47
The above comment by a government hospital doctor in Santir Bazar under South Tripura District has recently make a headlines in all most all the print, web and electronics media and also it gone viral on social media too. The doctor said 'in Tripura all government run hospital doctors are see patients privately. So I also do the same. He said this with great integrity and honesty. Recent days most of the people in Tripura doesn't want to reveal the trouth.
But Shantirbazar Government Hospital doctor Dr. Binay Debnath reveals the trouth when he cought red-handed while he was practicing privately by evading hospital duty on December 5 2022 in his private chamber in Udaipur. He was seen seeing patients in a private chamber in Udaipur during office hours at 2pm, where as he is posted at Shantirbazar primary health center and on that time he was on duty! When asked by reporters, he simply said, "Every government doctor in Tripura does it, so I do it'.
Notably, private practice by Doctors in Central and state Government service is prohibited. As per Rule 13 of Central Health Service (CHS) Rules, 2014, persons appointed to central health services (CHS) shall not be allowed private practice of any kind whatsoever including any consultation and laboratory practice.
Tripura government has also similar prohibitary rules against the private practice of government doctors. In lieu of private practice, doctors appinted in government hospitals are entitled to a Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA). Most of the doctors of government hospitals in Tripura are taking the NPA. As per rule doctors accepting Non Practicing Allowance (NPA) are not supposed to work in any private sector or setups, whether clinical or laboratory or radiology duties.
But even after that many doctors from government hospitals in Tripura are working in private chambers, clinics and hospitals. Some are doing private practice avoiding government hospital duty at their own residence, which is strictly against the service rules! But there is no initiative from the health administration to stop these. As a result, poor health service conditions have been created in most of the government hospitals in Tripura. Here, in Tripura practically total private health care system is run by government service doctors, except one corporate hospital, few so-called nursing homes and very few only private practice doctors! Ultimate health care system in Tripura is exhausted by tired system!
If government health system doesn't improve, how do we expect better health care even in private health care systems? Because healthy competition is always required for better services!
Besides, two government run medical colleges are also producing huge numbers of doctors in Tripura every year. The fressh batches of young doctors all are not absorbed in government services. If private practice is strictly prohibited among government doctors that would create earnings for those qualified medical graduates. Thus sincere service could be expected in both government and private sectors.
Therefore, demands have been raised among the relatives of patients who are dependent on government hospitals, that doctors in government hospitals should not be allowed to practice privately. Demands has also been raised that when any instance inappropriate private practice is brought to the notice of the government, strict action should be taken in the matter as per rules and procedure of the Government. (Author is a veteran journalist and editor tripurainfo.com)
(Tripurainfo)