Docs guilty of pvt practice to pay tax, lose degree

DOUBLE WHAMMY Private hospitals that encourage and entertain government doctors for private practice to be sealed

LUCKNOW: Doctors working in government sector and also doing private practice (PP) may end up getting a double shock. As per the latest order, such doctors, if found guilty, will have to pay tax on income accrued through private practice besides losing their degree. Also, the private hospital that encourages and entertain government doctors for private practice will be sealed.

PRIVATE PRACTICE IS BANNED FOR DOCTORS WORKING IN THE GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS OR GOVERNMENT MEDICAL COLLEGES IN UTTAR PRADESH.

LUCKNOW: Doctors working in the government sector and also doing private practice (PP) may end up getting a double shock.

As per the latest order, such doctors, if found guilty, will have to pay tax on income accrued through private practice besides losing their degree.

Also, the private hospital that encourages and entertains government doctors for private practice will be sealed.

Private practice is banned for doctors working in the government hospitals or government medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh.

In the latest order from the office of principal secretary, medical health, all the divisional commissioners and district magistrates have been directed to ensure that a vigilance committee is constituted at district level and it meets every month and looks into complaints of private practice.

“If a doctor is held guilty, recovery of non-practice allowance (NPA) being paid along with salary will be recovered,” said the order issued on October 9. “Whether income tax has been paid on earning through private practice will also be looked into,” said the order.

Action is also recommended against the private hospitals that engage government doctor. As per the rule, all private hospitals have to register themselves with the chief medical officer of the concerned district and also give in writing the names of doctors working as regular or on part time basis.

The practice of not disclosing the names of government doctors who do private practice at private hospital will be treated as offence.

“Process should be initiated to cancel licence of the private hospital also along with the government doctor,” the order further said.

The private practice has been a bone of contention between the state government and government doctors who plead their salaries and work conditions are not adequate as per their qualification and dedication.

The government has denied them permission to do private practice as many of them have been accused of diverting patients from government hospitals to private clinics for their personal gain.