GB doctors at Agartala Government Medical College and GB Pant Hospital have temporarily resumed private practice as the Tripura government is yet to issue the detailed notification enforcing the cabinet-approved ban. The move comes amid pending reforms, doctors’ concerns, and growing public interest.
Doctors and faculty members of Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and Govind Ballabh Pant (GB Pant) Hospital have temporarily resumed private practice after the Tripura government failed to issue a detailed notification implementing its earlier cabinet decision to prohibit such practice. The interim decision comes more than two weeks after the government announced a blanket ban on private practice by doctors serving at the state’s largest referral hospital.
The state government had introduced the policy with the objective of strengthening healthcare delivery and ensuring greater availability of specialist doctors within the government hospital system. However, while the cabinet decision was announced publicly, no comprehensive notification has yet been issued outlining the procedures, implementation mechanism, timelines, or service conditions related to the ban.
Immediately after the government’s announcement, doctors and faculty members, despite expressing concerns over the decision, voluntarily suspended their private consultations in compliance with the government’s directive. However, with the absence of an official notification even after considerable time, uncertainty over the enforcement process continued.
In response to the prolonged delay, the AGMC Teachers’ Forum, representing faculty members of the medical college, convened a meeting of its executive committee. During the meeting, members resolved to allow doctors to resume consulting patients in their private clinics and chambers as a temporary measure until the government formally issues the notification.
According to office-bearers of the organisation, the decision was taken primarily to ensure continuity of care for patients who have been receiving long-term treatment from individual doctors. The temporary resumption also provides doctors with flexibility while awaiting clarity from the government regarding the future implementation of the policy.
An office-bearer of the forum stated that doctors were given the option either to permanently discontinue their private practice or to continue consultations until the official order comes into effect. While several doctors have reopened their private chambers, others have already chosen to shut their clinics permanently in anticipation of the impending ban.
Before the policy is implemented in full, doctors have reiterated several long-standing demands. They have sought improved salaries and service benefits comparable to those offered in medical colleges of similar stature across the country. Faculty members have also demanded a transparent and widely accepted promotion policy for in-service doctors along with amendments to the Medical Education Service Rules to address career progression and administrative concerns.
Super-specialist doctors have also expressed reservations regarding the proposed ban, citing professional and service-related issues. Following these concerns, the state’s Health Secretary held discussions with various doctors’ associations and assured them that their legitimate demands would be examined and addressed within a specified timeframe.
Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha has reaffirmed that the government remains committed to enforcing the ban on private practice for doctors serving at GB Pant Hospital. He stated that the decision was based on recommendations made by an expert team from AIIMS, which had visited Agartala under a Memorandum of Understanding between the premier medical institution and the Tripura government. According to the Chief Minister, the policy is intended to improve public healthcare services by ensuring greater availability of government doctors within hospital premises.
At the same time, the decision has generated debate within the medical community and among sections of the public. Some have questioned why the restriction applies only to doctors attached to AGMC and GB Pant Hospital, while doctors serving in other government hospitals and health centres across the state remain outside the scope of the policy.
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The issue has also drawn mixed reactions from patients. Since doctors temporarily suspended private consultations following the government’s announcement, GB Pant Hospital reportedly witnessed an increase in patient footfall, with more people seeking consultations directly at the government facility. The temporary resumption of private practice is now expected to continue until the Tripura government releases the long-awaited notification clarifying the implementation of the cabinet-approved decision.
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With both the government and the medical fraternity maintaining their respective positions, attention now remains focused on the issuance of the official notification, which is expected to define the future course of private medical practice for doctors serving at Tripura’s premier government medical institution.
