Government set to ban private practice

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, NovEMBER 22

The Jammu and Kashmir Government is all set to ban the private practice by government doctors to incentivise the private health sector. Officials said the government would ban private practice by doctors working in all government-run hospitals.

“We are examining the proposal to ban the private practice by doctors working in the government sector because it is high time to provide impetus to the private sector,” a senior health official told The Tribune.

He said the ban on private practice would help in employment generation in the health sector.

However, doctors said the decision to ban private practice should not be taken prematurely as this would hit healthcare in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The ban on the practice by doctors at this moment will make healthcare expensive for common people,” said a senior doctor, who works in the government sector and runs a private clinic as well.

He asked where on earth a patient would get consultation from a Professor of any speciality in health at Rs 300.

Top gynaecologists, working in government-run hospitals in Kashmir, charge nearly Rs 15,000 for a surgery in private. “After the ban, most of them (gynaecologists) will quit the government job and charge not less than Rs 50,000 in private,” he said.

With ban on private practice, doctors fear J&K should not go the Punjab way where government-run medical colleges were struggling to get the recognition of the Medical Council of India after brain drain due to ban on private practice.

They said the government would have to enhance the monthly salary of the doctors to retain them in the public health sector. “Professors anywhere in India are getting monthly salary of Rs 3.5 lakh, while in the public sector of J&K, they get nearly Rs 1.5 lakh only. This disparity has to be removed to retain quality doctors in the government sector,” said a cardiologist, who also works in both public and private sectors.

He claimed that doctors who provide best healthcare services in the government sector have better private practice.

With ban on private practice, doctors fear J&K should not go the Punjab way where government-run medical colleges were struggling to get the recognition of the Medical Council of India after brain drain due to ban on private practice.