Tripura doctors seek salary revision, promotions after ban on private practice

Doctors at Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) Hospital have sought a revision of service rules, better salaries and time-bound promotions following the Tripura government's decision to prohibit private practice by doctors at the state's largest government healthcare facility.

The doctors said they were not opposed to the ban but expected the government to address their long-pending service-related demands.

AGMC Teachers' Forum president Dr Tapan Majumder said the government aims to develop AGMC and GBP Hospital on the lines of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and therefore the salary structure and other service benefits should also be comparable.

"The government wants to transform the state's largest hospital into an institute like AIIMS-New Delhi. In that case, salaries and other perquisites should also be on similar lines," he said.

The government's decision has affected around 350 doctors working at the hospital, all of whom stopped attending private clinics from Sunday in compliance with the order. The move has reportedly caused inconvenience to patients who depended on private consultations.

An emergency meeting of the All Tripura Government Doctors' Association (ATGDA), the AGMC Teachers' Forum and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) was held to discuss the issue.

Following the meeting, the doctors decided to seek an appointment with Chief Minister Manik Saha and the Secretary of Health Services to press for the fulfilment of their demands.

ATGDA general secretary Dr Kanak Chowdhury said government doctors remain committed to improving healthcare services and meeting public expectations.

He said both the Chief Minister and the Health Services Secretary are currently outside the state, and the associations would meet them upon their return in the hope of an early resolution.