Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 3: The High Court has taken serious note of private practice being done by Government doctors and diverting the patients from Government Hospitals to their private clinics and observed that such kind of practice be urgently brought to halt.
The division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Puneet Gupta while dealing with an application highlighting therein unfortunate fallout and aspect of practice prevalent in the J&K UT by the Government doctors of carrying private practice, the court directed for serving the copy of application as also the observations of the court to Chief Secretary to examine the issue.
“The competent authorities shall examine the practices which are prevailing in other States and UTs on this aspect, of course, after taking into account the limitations on medical facilities available in the J&K UT”, the DB directed.
Court observed that the employment opportunities in the UT are extremely few and large number of people are without financial resources and health facilities. Such practices as complained, court said, need to be brought to a halt.
Court said that it cannot be denied that it is patient care and public interest which has to be placed on the highest pedestal and optimized Government doctors and Professionals cannot be permitted to use their employment and public facilities for building private practices and commercial exploitation.
“Attending to lucrative private practices has to resultantly diminish and detract from the attention which a professional would pay to his salaried public position as a Government doctor”, the DB observed.
Court said, if what is submitted by the applicant is correct, it suggests that adverse manner in which health services would be made available to patients seeking treatment in Government hospital and facilities.
“The contended disservice to the residents of the UT and prejudice to the public interest is serious matter and permissibility of permitting private practice to Government doctors and employees deserve to be seriously re-examined”, read the order.
Government counsel, however, refuted the contentions raised in application and submitted that allegations made in the application need to be replied. Applicant contended that the facilities in the Dental Hospital are closed and no procedures are being performed, several doctors and practitioners employed in the said hospital are carrying out all those procedures in their private clinics.
He has further added that several doctors and practitioners working in the Government Hospitals have taken undue advantage of the restrictions imposed by the Government. He added that the permission is used by the practitioners to build large private practices by diverting patients form Government Hospitals to their private clinics.
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