TS bans private practice for government doctors recruited through direct recruitment

Hyderabad: Making amendments to the Telangana Medical Education Service Rules, the state government on Tuesday banned private practice for doctors recruited through direct recruitment. Doctors in posts filled by transfer from the non-teaching side recruited after Tuesday's notification, too, will not be allowed private practice.

"Henceforth, there shall be a total ban on private practice for the doctors recruited through direct recruitment/doctors filled by transfer from non-teaching side recruited after the issue of this notification shall not be allowed private practice," read the notification.

Dr Rohit Rathod, junior doctor at Osmania General Hospital says, " The order must be applicable to all doctors and not only the new recruits. Telangana government is looking at the Nizam;s Institute of Medical Sciences where it is already implemented and they are being given allowances which makes it easy for them to practice only in the government sector. If it is working in NIMS, it can work in other government centres too."

Dr Arjun Raj, former IMA joint secretary says, "Government does recruitment once in a while and they are putting so many terms and conditions. They must first ensure that they give proper allowances and facilities for doctors to practice in rural and semi-rural areas. If these facilities and allowances are created doctors will practice only for government. There are conditions being laid for qualified doctors but is there action taken for the non-qualified doctors. More than 1000 quacks are practicing in the state but there is no action being taken against them."

The notification is part of amendments made to the Special Rules for the Telangana Medical Education Service Rules issued in GO 154 way back in May 2002.

Following the revamping of rules, notifications for the appointment of approximately 3,000 doctors are expected. The state had earlier noted that while the mandate from the government requires doctors to stay on duty till evening, many of them leave at noon to practice privately.

The notification released by the state alongside the requirements for the various posts of assistant professors announced that private practice for those recruited henceforth has been banned. The government also plans to bring IAS officers and district collectors for auditing and administrative purposes.