Patna: The Bihar
government has announced the formation of a committee to consult on the implementation of a proposed policy that seeks to ban private practice by government doctors. Under the policy, the doctors working at state-run hospitals, medical
colleges, and health institutions will no longer be allowed to engage in private practice outside the public healthcare system. The move is part of Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar’s flagship governance initiative, Saat Nischay-3.Also Read:POSCO invoked in Patna NEET Aspirant death case as SIT intensifies probeThe decision aims to
guarantee the consistent availability of medical professionals in government
facilities and to enhance the speed and standard of care, particularly for
economically weaker sections. In the wake of the announcement, the Health
Department has set up a senior-level panel to draft detailed guidelines and an
execution framework for the new rule, reports Patna Press.
Officials said that
the policy follows persistent grievances that certain state-employed doctors
were giving preference to their private establishments during working hours,
resulting in neglect of patients at public hospitals. The administration has
also expressed plans to introduce financial and other incentives, especially
for postings in backward and hard-to-reach regions, to offset the loss of
supplementary earnings and promote improved healthcare services beyond urban
areas.
The policy compels doctors to make a full-time commitment to public service to ensure that people do
not feel the need to rely on private practice. Officials stated that the step would
also provide respite for rural patients who had to travel long distances to seek
treatment from cities. “The objective is to strengthen health services and
restore public trust in government hospitals,” a senior official said.
Dr Rekha Jha, director
general (nursing and disease control) will head the policy-drafting committee
in the health department and the superintendent of Patna Medical College and
Hospital, the principal of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Dr K K Mani,
president of the Bihar Health Services Association, its general secretary Dr
Rohit Kumar, and Dr Vibhuti Prasad Singh, head of ophthalmology at Indira
Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences will also be part of the team as members. The
committee is supposed to submit its recommendations soon, after which the final
policy will be notified, paving the way for a statewide ban on private practice
by government doctors, reports The Daily.Also Read:Intern assaulted at GMC Bettiah: Doctors’ Association demands immediate securityThe committee included representatives
from doctors’ associations, and the government has ensured that, instead of
unilaterally imposing the ban, it will be implemented after due consultations
with stakeholders. Health officials said that implementing the proposed idea
effectively will cut patient waiting times while ensuring doctors are
available. It’ll also track and reduce unnecessary referrals from the public to
private facilities.