Ban on private practice by doctors from November

Hyderabad: Private practice by Government doctors in Andhra Pradesh is to be banned from November 1.

A decision to this effect was taken by the State Cabinet at its meeting here this evening.

A Government spokesman, explaining the decision said, that the system of honorary medical officers in Government hospital was also being abolished.

He said that while the medical officers would be compensated with the payment of a non- practicing allowance, the Government would establish “paying clinics” in the main and attached hospitals in the town cities and the district hospitals where patients could get medical attendance on payment of a fee.

These clinics would be manned by specialists who will also get a special remuneration for the cases attended by them.

The spokesman said that Class I medical officers would get non- practicing compensation at a rate of 50 per cent of the basic pay, subject to a maximum of Rs. 500 per month while the Assistant Surgeons will get compensation at 33- 1/ 3 per cent of their basic pay subject to maximum of Rs. 250 per month.

Patients who go to the paying clinic will have to seek admission only in the paying wards of the hospitals, he said.

The spokesman said that the ban on medical practice would apply to all the medical officers working in the Medical and Health Department of the State Government.

The additional expenditure to the Government as a result of payment of compensation towards the ban on practice would amount to about Rs. 60 lakhs. But much of this additional expenditure was expected to be met as a result of the fee levied in the paying clinics, he added.