Majority of GMCH doctors still continuing private practices

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Majority of doctors at the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) are still continuing their private medical practices even as Dispur has failed to implement its decision to give them pay scales similar to that of the 'All India Institute of Medical Sciences' (AIIMS).

In March this year, the State Government had barred the GMCH doctors from working in nursing homes and doing private practices from April 2020.

"From April 15, the doctors of GMCH will not be allowed to work in private nursing homes or do private practices at their homes or chambers. We will give them pay scale equal to AIIMS professors," Health and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the Assam Assembly in March. He added that this step would help the patients in GMCH get better treatment.

"We will try to cover the other medical colleges later. The government will have to spend Rs 20 crore additionally to give the new pay scale to GMCH doctors," said Sarma.

A doctor at the Medicine department of GMCH stated that he carries out his private practice after completing his duty at GMCH. "I am not neglecting my duty at GMCH. But many patients want my treatment outside the GMCH also. So, I do go to some private hospitals and clinics," added the doctor.

Similar is the scene with doctors at other departments of GMCH. Most of the doctors have argued that doing private medical practices after completing duty hours at the government hospitals is not illegal. Sources, however, said that private medical practice is harming patients' interest as senior GMCH doctors spend more time in carrying out private practices.

Even though the GMCH has some doctors who don't do private medical practices, they are unhappy as the State Government has not given them non-practicing allowance for the past several months. The non-practicing allowance is given to motivate government doctors not to do private practice.

Health department sources said that the Department's engagement with the COVID battle after March this year has delayed the process of giving salary to the GMCH doctors at par with their counterparts at AIIMS. "The provision for new pay scales will be made in the Budget for the next financial year 2021-22," added the source.

However, the full-fledged Budget for 2021-22 will be placed in the Assam Assembly only when a new government takes charge of the State after the Assembly elections in April, 2021.

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