State bans its doctors from private practice

Full-time doctors who work with state government-run hospitals and teach in their colleges will not be allowed to do private practice anymore. The state has taken this decision as doctors “were not concentrating on their jobs”. Sayli Udas Mankikar reports.

Full-time doctors who work with state government-run hospitals and teach in their colleges will not be allowed to do private practice anymore. The state has taken this decision as doctors “were not concentrating on their jobs”.

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The directive, issued by the state government on Wednesday, will affect approximately 1,200 doctors in Mumbai who are employed with the four state-run hospitals: JJ hospital at Byculla, GT hospital and Cama hospital at GPO, and St George Hospital at CST.

The rule is applicable to all doctors working in state medical, dental and ayurveda colleges and attached hospitals.

Doctors who break the rule will face disciplinary action, which may even mean suspension.

Previously, the state let the doctors decide whether they wanted to pursue private practice or only stick to their government job, which involves practising and teaching.

Doctors who refrained from private practice received a non-practice allowance that accounted for 30 per cent of their salary, which was paid over and above the salary.

Though the government has not set up a machinery to keep a check on the doctors, Mhaiskar said it is not difficult to find out who is practising privately.

“We will keep a check on complaints coming in and take action accordingly,” he said.