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Agartala, Jun 27 (PTI) Doctors of Tripura’s Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) Hospital and Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) stopped private practice from Saturday, welcoming the state government’s decision to ban the practice in exchange for a 20 per cent non-practising allowance, official said.
The council of ministers, at its meeting on Monday, decided to prohibit private practice by faculty members and medical officers of GBP Hospital and AGMC while granting them a 20 per cent hike in basic pay as non-practising allowance.
“Today, we held a meeting of the All Tripura Government Doctors’ Association (ATGDA) and the AGMC Teachers’ Forum and decided to stop private practice, welcoming the government’s decision,” AGMC Teachers’ Forum president
Prof Tapan Majumder told a press conference.
Around 350 faculty members and medical officers are attached to the state’s premier health institutions, GBP Hospital and AGMC.
Majumder said the medical fraternity had urged the government to address a set of demands submitted during a meeting with Chief Minister Manik Saha and Health and Family Welfare Secretary Kiran Gitte.
He said there had been no revision in the recruitment rules for medical education over the past 10 years.
“We appeal to the government to amend the recruitment rules, restructure salaries for medical professionals and assure time-bound promotions. The faculty members and all-level medical officers of the institution expect the government to take note of these demands,” he said.
ATGDA general secretary Dr Kanak Chowdhury said the decision to ban private practice was part of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed with AIIMS, New Delhi.
“A complete restructuring is needed at GBP Hospital and AGMC if the government wants to create facilities like AIIMS, New Delhi, from increasing manpower at different levels to improving infrastructure and financial benefits. There will be no confusion or resignation if these issues are sorted out amicably,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Superspeciality Doctors’ Forum has opposed the government’s decision, saying there was no such provision when its members joined the institution. PTI PS MNB
