Need for broader analysis

By reinforcing a comprehensive ban on government doctors engaged in private practise whether or not they draw Non Practising Allowance(NPA), the Department of Health & Family Welfare (DoHFW) Nagaland has set a new course for medical health services in the state. In addition the DoFHW also set a deadline of one month with effect from August 1, on in-service doctors to close down their private clinics or withdraw from involvement with private hospitals or clinics. The ultimatum of the government was notified on August 1. Towards furthering the ban, the DoHFW also informed that duty hours of In-service doctors will be changed from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The issue that has been nagging the government for several decades involves payment of Non Practicing Allowance(NPA) to around 300 in-service doctors which costs the exchequer nearly Rs.nine(9)crore annually. If in-service doctors accept or draw NPA, It implies that they will not involve in private practise. The issue of in-service doctors drawing NPA had been intensely debated across various platforms in recent years due to lax enforcement of the rule. It is a fact that most if not many, Government servants posted out to the far flung districts, play truant and this has become a phenomenon that negates the very effort of the government to provide needed health service to the people. Though this problem is acute in several government departments; yet non-attendance in office by in-service doctors is felt the most. This is due to the fact that, since doctors provide the most essential service in terms of human need, the department of health and family welfare has attracted considerable flak for various reasons. Some doctors who play truant by refusing to work in the places of postings have been reported in the media. It may also be recalled that the Supreme Court on April 29,2019 ruled that government doctors defying the ban on private practice and charging consultation fee from patients in a clinic during spare time could neither be accused of indulging in trade nor be booked under the anti-corruption law. On the flip side, many doctors posted at far flung areas complain that they are unable to perform their task since many hospitals in the far flung areas lack basic equipments and facilities. It was reported that some hospitals in some districts do not even have functional X-ray machine, adequate medical equipments and medicines or technicians and laboratory staff. In other states, most district hospitals have Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET) or Computerised Tomography(CT) scans. In some hospitals, some of the sophisticated scanners as mentioned above, costing the department several crores of rupees, are lying unused for many years since trial runs could not be done either because they were not installed or because there was no qualified and experienced technicians to man them. Doctors cannot be blamed for not wanting to waste time in far flung hospitals where they cannot function due to lack of minimum basic medical facilities. Thus, the enforcement of the rule may not actually make much difference unless hospitals are equipped with basic instruments and equipments as well as having desired technical and trained staff to enable the doctors to work otherwise they will be reduced as Non Performing Assets(NPA).