A section of doctors working in government hospitals (GH) has expressed concern over the practice in private hospitals by some of their colleagues during GH duty hours. A doctor working in the District Government Headquarters Hospital (GHQH) told that a Tenkasi-based private hospital was publishing its duty chart daily on Facebook, which included names of government surgeons and specialists working at GHQH, Shengottai GH and Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital and this was increasing the workload for juniors as they had to take up the seniors workload.

In another complaint, a doctor said that a Shengottai-based government consultant was holding the Chief Medical Officer post at that private hospital, run by his family member. Similarly, a doctor attached to the Primary Health Centre in Karumbanur held a team coordinator post in another private hospital in Tenkasi. These doctors have been attending special camps organized by the private hospitals during GH hours and even their photographs were being uploaded in the private hospital’s website.

The Tamil Nadu Medical Council President Dr K Senthil said it was against the council’s norms to use government doctors names and images on portals of private hospitals and hold any post in any private hospital. Joint Director (Health Services), Tenkasi, Dr Venkatrangan has asked for a detailed inquiry regarding the allegations.

An official from the health department said, that after analyzing data of surgeries performed under the Chief Ministers Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, it was observed that some doctors performed surgeries at the same time in private hospitals as well as government hospitals and they were tracking such activities.

Director of Medical Education Dr R Narayana Babu instructed the hospital dean to form a committee to inquire into the complaint that some doctors at Government Thanjavur Medical College Hospital were engaging in private practice during duty hours.

Source: The New Indian Express