The Allahabad High Court has issued a directive to the Uttar Pradesh government to take decisive action against government doctors who engage in private practice, in violation of existing regulations. The court’s decision comes in the wake of a hearing of a petition filed by Dr. Arvind Gupta, a professor and Head of Department at Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, who was accused of providing improper treatment in a private facility.
During the proceedings, presided over by Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, the court expressed its concern over the continued practice of government doctors neglecting their duties in public institutions to work privately. This concern was initially raised during a hearing on January 8, where the court urged the state government to develop a policy to eliminate the private practice of these professionals.
The court has now mandated the principal secretary of medical education in Uttar Pradesh to submit a personal affidavit by March 26, detailing the actions taken against the doctors in question. The affidavit is expected to address the lack of information regarding the progression and results of disciplinary actions that were previously initiated, as noted in the latest court session.
This legal intervention underscores the serious implications of government doctors who bypass their responsibilities in public healthcare facilities, opting instead to refer and treat patients in private establishments for financial gain. Such practices not only compromise the quality of public healthcare but also violate a 1983 government order which prohibits private practice by government doctors, offering them non-practising pay or allowance as compensation.
