Tripura Cabinet bars AGMC-GBP doctors from private Practice; CM Manik Saha-led govt announces major healthcare reform
Agartala, June 24
In a significant healthcare reform initiative, the Tripura government under the leadership of Chief Minister Manik Saha has decided to prohibit doctors and medical officers serving at Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital from engaging in private practice.
According to CMO Tripura, the decision was approved by the state Cabinet and will be implemented initially at AGMC and GBP Hospital, the state's premier and oldest government healthcare institution.
Confirming the development to ANI on Tuesday evening, Tripura Government spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that all government doctors and medical officers posted at AGMC and GBP Hospital will be required to strictly comply with the new policy.
"The Cabinet has taken a firm decision that doctors serving at AGMC and GBP Hospital will not be allowed to undertake private practice under any circumstances. This directive must be strictly followed by all concerned medical professionals," Chowdhury said.
To compensate for the restriction on private practice, the state government has decided to provide a 20 per cent increase in the basic pay of the doctors serving at the institution. The move is aimed at ensuring their full-time commitment to public healthcare services and improving patient care in government hospitals.
In another important decision, the minister announced that the government will recruit 186 Technical Assistants through the General Recruitment Board of Tripura (GRBT) to strengthen healthcare service delivery.
According to Chowdhury, the Cabinet's decision reflects the government's commitment to enhancing the quality, accessibility and accountability of healthcare services in the state.
Officials described the move as one of the most significant healthcare policy decisions undertaken by the state government in recent years. The decision is expected to improve the availability of specialist doctors at AGMC and GBP Hospital and ensure greater attention to patients seeking treatment at government facilities.
Chief Minister Manik Saha, himself a medical professional by background, has consistently emphasised strengthening Tripura's healthcare infrastructure and improving public health services. The latest Cabinet decision is being viewed as a major step toward ensuring dedicated medical services in the state's flagship government hospital and medical college.
The government is expected to issue detailed implementation guidelines shortly, while monitoring mechanisms will be put in place to ensure strict adherence to the new policy.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good intention, but I worry about implementation. Many senior doctors at AGMC have been running private clinics for decades. Will they really comply? And what about quality - some of the best specialists might leave government service. Let's see how this plays out.
As someone who moved from the US to work in Tripura's healthcare sector, I admire this bold move. In America, doctors are often torn between hospital duties and private practice. This policy ensures they focus entirely on patients who can't afford private care. Well done, CM Saha! 🇮🇳
I'm a doctor in the UK and this is standard practice in the NHS. Consultants can do private work but only outside their NHS hours. If Tripura wants to ban private practice entirely, they need to ensure the compensation truly matches market rates. Otherwise, you'll lose talent to private hospitals in other states.
😤 Another case of government telling professionals what to do. Doctors worked hard for their degrees - they should be allowed to practice where they want. The 20% raise won't compensate for the income they'll lose from private practice. Mark my words, many will leave for better opportunities in Assam or Delhi.
As a nurse at GBP Hospital, I can tell you this is much-needed. We often had empty OPDs because specialists were at their private clinics. Common patients were neglected. The 186 new Technical Assistants will also help a lot. But I hope proper monitoring is done - many doctors here have political connections.
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