Raipur: At least 30 doctors of govt medical colleges across Chhattisgarh have resigned following a govt move to bar them from practicing in private hospitals. Several doctors at the state-run DKS Hospital in Raipur are preparing to quit, say sources.
Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday wrote to the state, suggesting a relook of the policies for govt doctors.
The mass resignations will hit Chhattisgarh’s health services hard, considering it’s already battling critical shortages in medical care personnel. According to a CAG report (2016-2022 period), the state has a 33% shortfall in doctors.
The unrest among doctors erupted after the govt ordered all private hospitals to submit affidavits that no govt doctors (regular or on contract) were working for them, either as visiting experts or on-call. Though doctors are allowed to practice privately at their home, they can’t run a private clinic nor visit private hospitals.
With the crisis deepening, health minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal tried to make amends by saying that the provisions which were triggering the resignations were “old”. “We are in talks with those facing difficulties in continuing the services. There’s already a shortage of doctors and in such a situation if doctors tender mass resignations, it’s going to become a problem. We will soon take a significant decision on this,” Jaiswal said.
Doctors have appealed to the govt to allow them a yearly option to choose to surrender NPA (non-practice allowance) and leave them free to practice beyond official working hours.
IMA has written to the chief minister, health minister, chief secretary and senior health officers, pointing out that several vacancies have not been filled, and in such a situation, the policy of barring private practice should be implemented only “after carefully assessing its long-term consequences”.
“In the last 25 years, there has been a radical change in the level of health services. In the current context, there is a need for reconsideration and further improvement in service conditions of doctors in govt service. After hospital duty, doctors should be given permission to practice as per their need and wish. It is not practically possible to provide only consultation services from one’s residence,” said IMA president Dr Rakesh Gupta says in the letter, requesting to reconsider the decisions with a “holistic approach”.
Speaking to TOI, Dr Omkar Khandwal, joint secretary of Medical Teachers’ Association, said, “Practice from home has become obsolete with so much advancement in medical care. Things have gone hospital-centric. It’s not possible for doctors to function from home clinics with limited resources.”
Several doctors said that the option of choosing or surrendering NPA is given only at the time of joining govt service or after a promotion, but what if a doctor needs it mid-career or at any other time.
“Medical Teachers Association requests the govt to amend old policies and rules and allow doctors to practice at private hospitals beyond their working hours at medical colleges. What would a surgeon or a doctor with specialization do after working hours? The type of practice and variability can’t be bonded by stringent clauses. After the govt order, private hospitals have removed doctors under the looming threat that their Ayushman scheme approval is at stake,” Dr Omkar said.
A doctor told TOI that doctors on contract are particularly vulnerable as they get minimum salary with no HRA, proper leaves or other perks, and if they wish to practice outside, 20% of their salary is deducted.
Their contract is renewed annually, so doctors fear they can be sacked any time, he pointed out, adding that the last salary revision for contractual doctors was in 2018.
