Either increase NPA or allow private practice: Doctors to Ministry

On June 29th, the government, while approving the recommendations of the 7th pay commission announced the appointment of special allowance committee, chaired by the Finance Secretary and having representation from the health ministry, to deliberate upon the issue of NPA. It was announced that till a final decision was reached, all existing Allowances will continue to be paid at the existing rates

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Sources have informed Medical Dialogues team that this special allowance committee will soon pronounce its decision, probably in the next 10 days.

FORDA, an organisation of 15,000 resident doctors in the capital, in the meantime, has written to the health ministry, objecting to the recommendation while reminding the government that NPA is not a seperate allowance but a part of the basic pay of doctors.

"The NPA is issued by Govt of India under FUNDAMENTAL financial rules  of 1962 under FR(9) but  historically, It was started in 1922 in lieu of late joining  & Job Hardships faced by Doctors. This is in concordance of the Govt Of India order" the letter added.

As an intermediate solution to the impasse between the government and the doctors, the organisation also pointed out to alternate solution stating that the government must allow private practice in case the government does not give an increased/merged NPA.

"We would like to offer to government that in case govt does not want to increase the NPA and do not merge it with basic for calculation of all allowances every government doctor must be allowed to have his private practice ,in that case we would be very happy to not to ask for NPA," the letter stated

Speaking to Medical Dialogues Team, Dr Ravinder Chauhan, General Secretary, FORDA said, "If the government does not wish to give the rightful NPA that medical practitioners deserve, then doctors should be allowed private practice."

Currently, many states, such as Rajasthan are following the protocol, where doctors are not given NPA, but are allowed private practice.