Telangana bans Private Practice, doctors demand Allowance

Hyderabad: Referring to the huge pay disparity between the state and central hospital doctors, the doctors employed at the government hospitals in Telangana have demanded Non Practicing allowance (NPA) in exchange of not continuing their private practice.

This comes after the State Medical Health Department decided to put a ban to the private practice of newly recruited government doctors.

It was decided that after making the necessary changes in the rules and introducing a new clause in the recruitment laws, the Government would release the notification for the appointment of more than 3,000 doctors in the State.

However, now the doctors have started pointing out the huge disparity in the pay between doctors employed at government, private and central hospital.

Also Read: Punjab Govt. doctors under radar over private practice

As per the latest media report by the New Indian Express, at NIMS, even low-rung doctors get a monthly salary of Rs 1.8 L. On the other hand, the Government hospital doctors and Assistant professors earn around Rs 98,000. This mainly happens due to the Non-Practice Allowance that the NIMS doctors receive for not getting engaged in the private practice. They get around 20 per cent of their basic pay as NPA.

However, on the one hand, the state government hospital doctors do not get any such allowance, and on the other, they will now be banned from private practice because of the new law that is going to be introduced by the Government.

Referring to this new policy, a source informed TOI, "Although doctors are required to stay in government hospitals from morning to evening, many leave around noon to practice in private hospitals. This leaves poor patients without treatment. Some doctors visit PHCs in rural areas only two to three days in a week." The source further added that micro review of performance of doctors is also under process.

In fact, it is the reportedly the plan of the State Government to involve district collectors and senior IAS officials to administer and audit the hospitals.