SAROOR
JAMMU: As the government has tightened noose against doctors engaged in private practice even during duty hours, the Health and Medical Education Department is all set to grip the senior faculty including the Heads of the Departments (HoDs) refraining them from the private practice exercise.
According to sources in the Health Department, the proposal of banning private practice of Head of the Department (HODs) of various departments of Government Medical Colleges, Dental Colleges and Associated Hospitals of Jammu and Kashmir is strictly under consideration.
“The move to ban the private practice being undertaken by the senior faculty and HoDs is well in place and expected to see its implementation very soon,” sources added.
They added that this is for the second time the administration has considered the proposal, adding, “earlier in June 2016, the Department of Health and Medical Education had issued a circular banning the private practice of HODs of medical colleges, dental colleges and subsidiary hospitals for which the principals of the medical colleges were given the responsibility of implementing it in toto but the exercise remained futile.”
“Although unanimous demand was pitched with one voice seeking the ban following which a committee was also constituted that advised ban on private practice by all government doctors,” sources added.
Sources added that the health department is yet again giving a thought to ban the private practice of departmental heads that will very soon it’s ground implementation.
“As soon as this order sees ground implementation, private practice of other faculty members will also be banned with immediate effect,” they said.
Presently, sources said that there are seven Government Medical Colleges and two Dental Colleges in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Two new medical colleges are also going to be opened in Udhampur and Handwara that will enhance number of medical colleges to nine,” they said adding that banning the private practice of HODs will improve working and efficiency of the Department besides patient care in medical and dental colleges.
At present, barring few, most of the HoDs are engaged in private practice including some renowned doctors holding expertise in their subjects, they added.
Significantly, few days back, the department had also issued an order to make HODs roaster on rotation for two years and the practice on cards, was also disputed in the department.
“Several HODs have termed the order as wrong decision and demanded it’s immediate revocation but the administration is in no mood to step into the shoes of those opposing and will very soon execute its implementation,” sources added.
