IMPHAL, July 7: The government is ready to take legal action against doctors of government run hospitals practicing in private clinics, but till date there has been no evidence against such doctors, claimed Health minister Phungzathang Tonsing in the House today.
He was replying to cut motions raised by Opposition MLAs Shyamkumar, Dr I Ibohalbi and L Ibomcha during discussion and voting on Demand no 11- Medical, Health and Family Welfare.
Raising a cut motion, Shyamkumar had said the frequently reported referral of a patient from a medical college run by the government to a private institute is shameful, Andro MLA Th Shyamkumar.
He said what do the government medical colleges lack, that patients have to be referred to the private institutes.
He was speaking during the discussion and voting on demand of the Health, Medical and Family Welfare.
Elaborating further, Shyamkumar had said do the frequent referral of patients from the government hospitals JNIMS and RIMS to the private hospitals means that the latter have more sophisticated equipments or more expert doctors.
The people are confused as to whether the equipments in the government hospitals are even functional, he said.
He further observed that during such practices, it is the poor patients who have to pay huge sums in private hospitals.
Construction of the Primary Health Centre, Keithelmanbi was completed in 2009-10, however, the department is yet to inaugurate it till date, he asserted questioning if there is a rule of the department not to inaugurate the PHC.
Although many PHCs were upgraded to open 24×7, gynecologists doctors are still lacking in most of the PHCs in both the hills and the valley, he continued.
He further suggested the minister to visit the PHCs around to monitor the problems of the people.
MLA Ibomcha raised the issue of government doctors doing private practices, while Dr Ibohalbi raised the issue of promotion and vacant posts.
Dr Ibohalbi said most surgeons suggest their patients to undergo operations in the private hospitals where they are practicing.
There are specialists in both JNIMS and RIMS who are also practicing in private hospitals and clinics, he observed.
Meanwhile, in his clarification, the minister had said that although the government could take legal action against the government doctors practicing in private hospital, none of them have been caught with evidence.
He also said that the lack of doctors in all PHCs will be filled up the present batch of PG doctors passed out.
The Manipur Health Service Rule has been amended four times since 2010 in connection to promotion of doctors, he said adding that the draft copy of rules and regulations for promotion of Grade II to grade I has been sent to the Manipur Public Service Commission for the conduct of direct recruitment and promotion process.
He further assured to MLA Shyamkumar that the PHC, Keithelmanbi will be inaugurated very soon within this month.
He continued that the referral of patients from government hospitals to private hospitals is a serious issue and the government will look into the matter seriously.
He said the government has discussed with the top officials of the department to prepare a rule against such practice.
He also said that specialists for the far flung PHCs will be filled up soon, however, the doctors don`™t agree to even the two-months rotation of posting in the far-flung areas. Phungzathang also said that the AIDS Control Programe has also been drafted.