Rajasthan introduces 'After Hours Surgery' policy to reduce hospitals waiting lists
Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has announced an “After Hours Surgery” policy in its budget, mandating round-the-clock surgical services in government hospitals. The initiative aims to tackle long waiting lists, despite the availability of trained specialists and existing hospital infrastructure.
Under the new policy, surgeries can be scheduled beyond regular hospital timings, including during night hours, in an effort to reduce pending caseloads.
According to a report by Bhaskar English, the government believes that while public hospitals already have trained specialists and established infrastructure, high patient footfall and time constraints during routine hours have led to delays. At present, patients reportedly wait between two and four months even for relatively minor surgeries. The new policy is intended to systematically clear this backlog and improve access to timely surgical care.
To support the night-time surgical services, the government has proposed financial incentives for doctors and supporting staff participating in after-hours surgeries. While the exact incentive amount has not yet been finalised, the scheme will include surgeons, anaesthetists, and other OT personnel involved in perioperative care. The payments are likely to be drawn from the package funds available under the Ayushman Bharat–Mukhyamantri Ayushman Arogya Yojana.
To strengthen operative capacity, 12 modular operation theatres will be constructed across six major government hospitals in the state. The six hospitals include SMS Hospital, JLN Hospital, PBM Hospital, Maharana Bhupal Hospital, MBS Hospital, and Mathuradas Mathur Hospital.
Dr Deepak Maheshwari, Principal of SMS Medical College, highlighted the daily patient load at SMS Hospital and stated that after-hours surgeries would significantly bring down the waiting list.
Alongside incentives, the government has also adopted a strict position on post-duty private surgical practice. There have been recurring complaints that some government doctors perform surgeries in private hospitals after completing official hours.
Naresh Goyal, Commissioner of the Medical Education Department, stated that while the government would encourage doctors who conduct surgeries after office hours within government hospitals, disciplinary action would be initiated against those found operating in private facilities.
Dr Dheeraj Jaif, President of the Rajasthan Medical College Teachers’ Association (RMCTA), said that if any government doctor is found performing surgery in a private hospital, action should be taken as per rules. He added that the association supports the government’s decision.
