West Bengal Health Dept seeks Duty Rosters to check private practice by Govt doctors

Kolkata: In a bid to ensure accountability and improve healthcare quality in state-run hospitals, the West Bengal Health Department has initiated a rigorous monitoring process. As part of this initiative, the department has requested the duty rosters of all senior and junior doctors for the next month.

This measure is aimed at keeping a close watch on whether doctors are adhering to their designated schedules and providing necessary care to patients. 

This comes in the wake of a recent case in which the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) filed a police complaint against four senior doctors, accusing them of obstructing the normal operations of the state medical council.

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Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that following the brutal rape and murder of a female postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024, the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) has launched an inquiry into the attendance and duty records of Kinjal Nanda, a prominent leader in the doctors’ movement. This move comes soon after the police raided the residence of Dr Asfakulla Naiya, another leading figure among junior doctors.

According to the news reports senior officials from the Health Department are considering conducting surprise visits to monitor the attendance of doctors. Surveillance will also be implemented to ensure that doctors are adhering to their duty rosters. Additionally, the officials may review CCTV footage to verify the doctors' presence in the hospitals.

The issue of government service doctors working in private healthcare establishments during their official duties has long been a point of concern in state-run hospitals.

In response, the State Health Department has recently issued a fresh guideline stating that government service doctors in West Bengal will be prohibited from engaging duties in private practices from 9 am to 4 pm, Monday through Saturday. This directive specifically targets faculty members at state medical colleges, who are now mandated to work a full seven-hour shift each day and 42 hours a week.

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As per the recent media report by Millennium Post, the guidelines said, “Faculty members must not engage in private practice during duty hours (9 am to 4 pm, Mondays to Saturdays) and also during floor, emergency, or on-call duty hours.”

The new guideline stipulates that action will be taken against doctors who fail to discharge their duties properly according to the duty rosters. Any doctor found absent from the hospital during their assigned duty hours will face disciplinary measures.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during a recent meeting at Nabanna, directed the state Health Secretary, Narayan Swaroop Nigam, to implement measures that will hold doctors accountable and ensure improved patient care in government hospitals.