State health and family welfare (H&FW) department has directed the in-service government doctors both availing as well as not availing non-practicing allowance (NPA) and engaged in private practice in their hospitals or in partnership to either close down their private hospitals or to de-associate from such partnership within one month from the date of issue of the office memorandum.
Addressing a press conference at secretariat conference hall, here on Tuesday, the commissioner & secretary, H&FW, Y Kikheto Sema, disclosed that the state government was spending around Rs 8.5 crore on Non-Practising Allowance (NPA) annually for 304 doctors in Nagaland.
Kikheto informed that around 51 in-service doctors availing NPA were practising in private hospitals, clinics and healthcare facilities according to a report from Lokayukta.
In this regard, the C&S cautioned against such practices which was against the service code of conduct and urged such doctors to either stop private practice or face disciplinary action. He informed that the government had come up with a comprehensive office memorandum (OM) after a series of meetings and thorough deliberation to stop such illegal practices.
C&S informed that the department was gathering data to ascertain the actual number of government doctors running private healthcare facilities including clinics and pharmacies.
As per the latest government order, in-service government doctors, who are availing NPA and involved in private practice in private hospitals/clinics, have been directed to either stop private practice or to forgo their NPA within one month from the date of issue of the Office Memorandum.
The in-service government doctors who do not avail NPA were allowed to give private consultations and services to the needy patients strictly during non-working hours, only after receiving prior approval of the competent authority.
He disclosed that the government had on several occasions passed orders even in the past, but those orders had not been followed in “letter and spirit”.
C&S also informed private hospitals, clinics and nursing homes not to engage in-service doctors, nurses, technicians or health workers in their establishments or face cancellation of their licenses.
Kikheto informed that health department would also be conducting surprise inspection at government hospitals across the state as was desired by minister for health, Paiwang Konyak.
Further, he informed that rationalisation of manpower in the healthcare facilities would also be conducted to fill in existing gaps on need basis.
C&S pointed out that numerous in-service doctors and health workers were not in their place of posting depriving the general public of their basic health services.
In this regard, he cautioned that any doctor found to be absent from their place of posting without proper permissions from the competent authority would face disciplinary action as per the Nagaland Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1968 and Nagaland Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1967.
Further, C&S informed that in the interest of the public the new timing for Out Patient Department (OPD) in all the State government health units would be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with effect from August 10, 2023.
H&FW principal director, Vibeituonuo M Sachü and Nagaland Medical Council president Joyce Angami also addressed the press conference.