Reported by Mrinal Kanti Banik
Agartala: The Tripura government’s decision to prohibit private practice by faculty members and medical officers of Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) Hospital has triggered mixed reactions within the medical fraternity, with one doctor’s body backing the move while another has called for a review through wider stakeholder consultations.
The state cabinet recently approved the policy, under which doctors covered by the order will receive a Non-Practising Allowance (NPA) amounting to 20 per cent of their basic pay.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, the AGMC Teacher’s Forum announced that its members would abide by the government’s decision and discontinue private practice. However, the forum stressed that the policy should be accompanied by comprehensive reforms addressing long-pending service-related issues.
Forum president Dr Tapan Majumder said doctors had unanimously decided to comply with the government’s directive but urged the administration to first implement the Tripura Medical Education Service Rules in their intended form. According to him, the rules have remained unchanged since 2010, leading to delayed promotions and stagnation in the careers of medical teachers.
The forum reiterated several demands it had earlier placed before the state government through the Chief Minister and Health Secretary. These include revision of service rules, restructuring of salaries in line with the Seventh Pay Commission and UGC recommendations, introduction of a time-bound promotion system, recruitment of additional faculty members and implementation of the announced 20 per cent Non-Practising Allowance.
Dr Majumder said the existing pay structure was inadequate, pointing out that newly appointed assistant professors at AGMC receive salaries lower than those paid to senior residents in many medical colleges across the country.
He also highlighted the acute shortage of faculty members, saying medical teachers are simultaneously responsible for patient care, academic teaching and research. Rejecting claims that private practice was the primary reason for absenteeism in government hospitals, he maintained that only a small number of doctors had been found neglecting official responsibilities.
Instead of imposing an immediate blanket ban, the Teachers’ Forum suggested that the government could regulate private practice beyond official working hours or introduce the policy in phases.
The forum also expressed concern over public remarks indicating that doctors unwilling to accept the new policy could resign from government service. It said disciplinary action should be taken only against individuals violating service rules rather than making generalised statements affecting the entire medical community.
Senior physician Dr Kanak Chowdhury said maintaining specialist and super-speciality healthcare services requires adequate manpower. He warned that shortages of doctors could make it difficult for AGMC and GBP Hospital to meet the faculty norms prescribed by the National Medical Commission while ensuring quality healthcare beyond regular duty hours.
Meanwhile, the Super Specialist Doctors Forum has opposed the proposed ban in its present form. In a representation submitted to the Medical Superintendent and Head of Department of AGMC and GBP Hospital, the forum said the policy had been framed without sufficient consultation with doctors directly involved in delivering specialised healthcare.
The forum argued that many super-specialists had joined government service when private practice was permitted and had accepted appointments under those conditions. Altering the service terms without prior discussions, it said, amounted to changing the rules after appointment.
According to the representation, restricting private practice alone would not strengthen public healthcare unless the government simultaneously addressed critical issues such as vacancies, inadequate infrastructure, shortage of ICU beds and operation theatres, lack of support staff and delays in promotions and financial incentives.
The super-specialists also objected to remarks suggesting that doctors opposed to the policy should resign, describing such statements as discouraging and disrespectful to the medical profession.
As an alternative, the forum proposed a voluntary opt-in model, allowing doctors to choose the non-practising system before making it mandatory. It urged the government to hold detailed consultations with stakeholders and evolve a consensus-based policy that balances the interests of doctors with the need to improve patient care.
The representation has been endorsed by doctors from several super-speciality departments, including neurosurgery, neurology and cardiology.