The West Bengal Department of Health and Family Welfare has made it mandatory for all private clinical establishments to obtain no-objection certificate (NOC) before engaging doctors in government service.
A notification issued on November 2 reads, “Clinical establishments can engage government doctors in a practising post and are not drawing non-practising allowance after fulfilling the conditions as stipulated in clause 6 (chapter II) of the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Rules, 2017.”
The notification, signed by state director of health services Dr Siddhartha Niyogi further says, “No clinical establishment shall engage or empanel any person already engaged by the West Bengal government or allow such person to render any healthcare service who is yet to obtain an express permission in the form of a no-objection certificate from the government.
The order applies even on those working on honorary or stipendiary basis or who are bound under agreement with the state government, including house staff, internees or students.
The notification says the clinical establishment concerned will have to submit the NOC along with an application besides displaying detailed information about the doctor in government service, their hours of availability on the premises.
“Any non-compliance will be treated as a violation of the West Bengal Clinical Establishments Act, 2017, and an appropriate action will be taken. This has approval of the competent authority and will be enforceable with an immediate effect,” it says.
A section of doctors is not happy with the notification, claiming that it will be a “humiliating” experience for them.
“Small nursing homes are claiming their dues under the Swasthya Sathi scheme. The government feels there is a rise in Swasthya Sathi claims at private hospitals. So instead of doing something about it they are shooting from someone else’s shoulder,” said a doctor on the condition of anonymity.
Dr Manas Gumta, secretary, Association of Health Service Doctors, said, “Nursing homes are pressurising the government to clear their dues but the latter doesn’t have enough money. Now the government wants to reduce the number of surgeries under Swasthya Sathi scheme. This is why the notification has been issued for doctors . This is humiliating for them.”
