DAK says they welcome ban on private practice as recommended by expert panel

By: Javaid Malik MK

Srinagar

Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Friday has said that they welcome the expert panel report recommending ban on the private practice of doctors in medical colleges.

In Kashmir valley most of the people prefer to go to the private clinics of senior doctors as they are not available in the government run hospitals and they avoid OPDs forcing the people to go to their clinics.

Now this has spread to the junior doctors also as most of them are also now indulging in private practice and they also spend a lot of time in the private nursing homes in order to earn money.

The welcoming of a ban on this private practice by DAK has come in this backdrop as the expert panel has told the court that it should be banned.

According to KNT in its news report on Friday as follows,  a committee of medical experts constituted on the directions of Jammu and Kashmir High Court in its report has recommended a blanket ban on private practice of doctors in medical colleges.

The committee comprised of Prof Y.K. Chawla – Former Director PGI, Chandigarh, Prof Showkat Ali Zargar – Former Director SKIMS, Srinagar, Prof Kaisar Ahmad – Former Principal Govt Medical College, Srinagar and Prof Ravi Gupta- ex- Medical Superintendent GMCH, Chandigarh.

Urging JK government to implement the recommendations of the committee, DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan said private practice has eaten away our premier health institutions which not only are crucial life-saving assets, but also full time centers for medical education and research.

Dr Hassan said the academic character of the health institutions has got damaged and profession of healthcare has got affected by private practice.

“There is no provision of private practice of doctors working in teaching hospitals as they have a huge responsibility of patient care, teaching and research,” he said.

The DAK President said government doctor is a government servant all the 24 hours of the day, round the clock and does not cease to be one during the spare hours when he/she is away from duty.

“Permitting private practice at any time in the day is bound to affect the discharge of official duties by government doctors,” he added.

Vice-President DAK Dr Mir Mohd Iqbal said it is ironic that full-time government doctors are allowed to run private hospitals depriving poor and underprivileged of essential healthcare.

“Doctors concentrate their attention and work effort on private practice at the expense of public hospitals,” he said.

General Secretary DAK Dr Arshad Ali said doctors use public hospitals as recruiting grounds for their private practice and orchestrate scenarios to generate business for their clinics.

“The dual practice creates a pervasive incentive for doctors to increase waiting times at government hospitals so that patients are forced to go to private clinics,” he said.

Spokesperson DAK Dr Riyaz Ahmad Dagga said private sector should grow, but not at the cost of public health sector.

“Private hospitals can’t run their business by hiring government doctors who are appointed full-time for public sector,” he said adding “time has come to segregate health sectors and doctors have to decide whether to work for private or public health sector.”

with KNT inputs