Photo Courtesy: nenow
Agartala: The Tripura cabinet recently barred doctors at Agartala Government Medical College and GBP Hospital from private practice. The state will offer a 20 per cent Non-Practising Allowance to offset lost income. Reactions remain split among medical staff.
The AGMC Teacher’s Forum agreed to follow the order. However, they want the state to update service rules that have sat stagnant since 2010. Forum president Dr. Tapan Majumder said, "doctors had unanimously decided to comply with the government’s directive but urged the administration to first implement the Tripura Medical Education Service Rules in their intended form." The group cited low pay and delayed promotions as major friction points.
They also warned that singling out doctors for absenteeism is unfair. Instead of a hard ban, they suggested regulating hours or phasing in the change. They want reforms to pay structures and more staff hiring.
Super-specialists rejected the plan in its current state. They claimed the government changed employment terms after they were already hired. These doctors argue that banning private work fails to fix deeper problems like crumbling infrastructure, missing ICU beds, and lack of support staff. They pushed for a voluntary opt-in system instead.
Senior physicians worry the mandate will chase talent away. They warned that the state needs to keep specialists on board to meet national medical standards. These doctors called for open dialogue rather than threats of resignation.
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