Bihar Health Minister cracks down on absentee doctors, warns against referring patients to private clinics
Patna, July 8
Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar has intensified his surprise inspections of government hospitals, warning that negligence, absenteeism, and unethical practices by doctors will not be tolerated.
Following recent inspections at Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) and Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Orthopaedic Hospital in Rajvanshi Nagar, the Minister announced strict action against doctors found absent from duty and those allegedly referring patients to their private hospitals.
After inspecting LNJP Orthopaedic Hospital, Nishant Kumar found several doctors absent from their assigned duties.
He said show-cause notices would be issued to the absent doctors and disciplinary proceedings would follow if their explanations were found unsatisfactory.
He reiterated that government doctors are expected to remain available during duty hours and provide uninterrupted healthcare services to patients.
Nishant Kumar also warned that strict action would be taken against doctors who allegedly persuade patients to seek treatment at their private clinics or hospitals instead of government facilities.
He said such practices are unacceptable and undermine public confidence in the state's healthcare system.
"I visited LNJP yesterday, but the doctors had not turned up. When I called them, they started offering excuses. Show-cause notices have been issued to them. Action will also be taken against a doctor who asked a patient to visit his private clinic," the Health Minister said.
Addressing the ongoing issues at PMCH, Kumar said he had summoned the hospital Superintendent to discuss the concerns raised by junior doctors and work towards a resolution.
Junior doctors at PMCH had recently suspended work while demanding improved security and other measures after an alleged assault incident.
The Health Department Secretary has already held discussions with the protesting junior doctors, while the PMCH Superintendent met the Health Minister at the Secretariat as part of efforts to restore normal healthcare services.
The latest action follows Nishant Kumar's surprise inspection of PMCH on June 23, during which the then Principal, Dr Narendra Pratap Singh, was found absent from duty.
He was subsequently removed from the post, and Dr Geeta Sinha was assigned additional responsibility as Principal.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, I think the minister should focus on the root cause. Why do doctors refer patients to private clinics? Maybe because government hospitals lack basic medicines or equipment. Instead of just punishing doctors, improve the infrastructure and incentives. But yes, absenteeism is unacceptable—glad to see action at PMCH!
This is long overdue! My uncle went to LNJP Orthopaedic Hospital last month and was told to visit a private clinic for a hip replacement. The doctor there charged ₹50,000 for a surgery that should have been done for free at the government hospital. If Nishant Kumar keeps this up, he'll save many poor families from exploitation. 👏
It's good to see accountability in action. Coming from a developed country, I'm often surprised by the lack of oversight in some Indian government hospitals. These inspections should be regular, not just surprise ones. Also, addressing junior doctors' concerns about security is equally important—no one should work in fear.
Great initiative, but I hope the minister doesn't stop at just issuing show-cause notices. The real test is whether these doctors are actually punished. In Bihar, we've seen such crackdowns before, but then everything goes back to normal after a few months. Let's see if Nishant Kumar has the guts to follow through.
I appreciate the crackdown on doctors referring patients to private clinics. It's a common practice in many states, not just Bihar. But I wish they would also address the shortage of staff and medicines at government hospitals. Sometimes doctors have no choice but to refer patients because the hospital lacks
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