Hyderabad: Harish Rao seeks list of govt. doctors running private clinics

Hyderabad: In his yet another firm focus on providing quality medical services in government hospitals, Minister T Harish Rao has directed officials to prepare a list of government doctors across the State running private clinics.

Due to some instances, widespread criticism is being levelled against government doctors for not following duty time schedule and leaving hospitals and absenting to run private clinics. A few incidents where doctors are found to be suggesting to patients at government hospitals to visit their clinics received public attention and led to questioning the authenticity of medical services in State-run hospitals, allowing the Opposition to utilise them politically.

The minister has reportedly issued stringent directives not allowing such instances and making government doctors--who are running own clinics to be cautious about their duties. He is learnt to have sought from officials a list of government doctors--- who are running private clinics---from a primary health care centre to a teaching hospital. Rao has ordered them to keep an eye on doctors' duties and track quality of service they are providing in government hospitals.

With these instructions, government doctors running private clinics seem to have come under scrutiny of the minister. Speaking to The Hans India, an official of the Department of Medical Education said, duty timings of doctors and their services in government hospitals would be monitored regularly.

Responding to the issue, Putla Srinivas, president, Government Doctors' Association, said after duty hours at government hospitals doctors are entitled to run their private clinics. "We would back the State government if any action is taken against those doctors who violate rules and run their private clinics during hospital duty hours.