West Bengal: Private Specialists can now perform surgeries at government hospitals, State fixes remuneration

Kolkata: Providing a whole range of opportunities to the private sector specialists and super-specialists in the state, the Directorate of Health Services, West Bengal has decided to allow them to perform surgeries as well as an participate in an academic session, skill building of medicos and faculties in government medical colleges and hospitals in the state.

For the same, the state government is offering a remuneration of Rs 1500/- per hour to experts from the private sector of such services up to a maximum of six hours a day for maximum three days a week.

The move comes after many experts from private hospitals submitted an expression of interest to the DHS to actively participate in the field of super specialities like pediatric surgery neuro-surgery, craniofacial surgeries, pediatric neurosurgery, maxilla facial and head neck surgeries including trauma patients, pediatric and adult Cardiac surgeries and surgeries under various other super speciality subjects. This was under active consideration of this Department to utilize the services of such experts in the field of different specialities from private fields.

Confirmation of the proposal was recently made by the DHS and the DME in an advisory

"After careful consideration of the above matter, it has been decided that experts from private facilities willing to provide such super speciality services may be allowed to be tagged with any unit of similar discipline at different Govt. Hospitals and Medical Colleges so that they can perform surgeries as in a team and can participate in an academic session, training and skill-building of the Students and Faculties. Moreover, it has also been decided that for extending such professional services, experts from private facilities will be offered remuneration of Rs 1500/- per hour of such services up to a maximum of six hours a day for maximum three days a week," the notification stated.

"Principal/MSVP/Superintendent will engage them with prior approval from DME or DHS and the MSVP or Superintendent will act as the Drawing and Disbursing authority for paying the honorarium to appropriate payee by submission of bill using e-PRADAN module under Head of the account 24-HF-2210-Medical & Public Health-01-Urban Health Services- Allopathy- 110-Hospital & Dispensaries - NP-Non Plan-013­District & SD Hospital-V-28- Payment of Professional and Special Services- 02 Other Charges/ 24-2210-01-001 -NP-004 -Director of Medical Education-28-Payment of professional and special service-02­other charges observing the procedure mentioned in FD Memo no 4905-F(Y) dated 17.09.2014 and 1179-F(Y) dated 25.02.2015 for onward payment to the doctor in his bank account." the notification further added.

Besides this the same order spoke about the mentoring support and handholding of experts from medical colleges and district hospitals to help doctors perform laparoscopic surgeries in general surgery and gynecology in Multi/ Super specialty Hospitals.

" Experts of teaching faculties (Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor and RMO) of Medical Colleges or experts (Specialists) of District Hospitals attending peripheral health facilities to provide handholding and mentoring support for laparoscopic surgeries at such camps will be henceforth provided a consolidated honorarium of Rs 5000/- per day of camp surgery only." the advisory noted

"In continuation with the above-mentioned order, Superintendent of hospital organizing such camp for doing laparoscopic surgeries only will be allowed to draw a camp contingency of Rs. 3000/- ( Rupees three thousand only) per camp held, out of the 50-0C head," the advisory added