KNZ NEWD DESK
Doctors Association Kashmir President Dr Suhail Naik on Sunday in a communiqué said that government must impose a blanket ban on Private Practice by all doctors who are working in teaching Institutions across the state.
the spokesman said that teaching Institutions are primarily considered as the landmark and epicentre for health which have three main functions i.e Teaching, Research and ultimate Patient Care.
Meanwhile, if doctors working in these Institutions indulge in Private Practice, it is going to jeopardise the main motive of these Institutions. Further, it is imperative on government that they must pay handsome non-practising allowance(NPA) to all doctors working these prestigious institutions on the pattern of AIIMS. It is unfortunate that government is paying peanuts in terms of Non-Practising Allowances (NPA).
The spokesman added that “It is a well-known fact that doctors at SKIMS are overburdened due to the huge rush of patients and it takes weeks and months for patients to get appointments with Doctors of their choices. This is the reason why patients throng into homes of astute doctors during morning and evening hours.There is dire need of paid evening clinics and they must be started at SKIMS OPDs so that democratic right of the patient to consult a doctor of his or her own choice is not choked Dr Naik added. The services of evening clinics will keep services of expert and veteran doctors open and their expertise will benefit thousands of patients”.
Furthermore, Dr Naik elaborated that “recently a sting operation was conducted by a private TV News channel in which senior faculty were seen doing Private Practice and the very next day government suspended all the alleged three astute doctors in a knee-jerk response without even conducting a prior preliminary enquiry which is the pre-requisite in such cases”. It is unfortunate that state government is taking judgements just on media trials without calculating the adverse outcome of order. DAK fears that with such immature actions for God sake if all astute faculty will resign with the knee-jerk response, where will our poor and needy patients go and there is every chance of de-recognition of departments which in itself will be a big catastrophe and ultimate loss for the state health sector.
DAK appeals Hon’ble Chief Minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti to take in-depth cognisance of the matter and use her expertise and knowledge as to what is best for the state and public.
