Congress Legislature Party leader and Tripura State President of the All India Panchayat Parishad, MLA Birajit Sinha, has termed the state government's decision to prohibit private practice by doctors of Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) Hospital as "impractical" under the prevailing circumstances. He has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the decision and announced a six-hour peaceful dharna on July 5 in protest.
Addressing a press conference at the Kailashahar District Congress Bhavan on Thursday, Sinha strongly criticized the state cabinet's decision, implemented in June, to ban private practice by teachers and medical officers of AGMC and GBP Hospital.
While Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and Health Secretary Kiran Gitte have justified the move by stating that it would ensure the full-time availability of doctors, improve healthcare services, and help develop the institutions on the lines of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Sinha claimed that the ground reality is entirely different.
He pointed out that although the government has proposed providing doctors with an additional 20 per cent Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA) over their basic salary as compensation, the forum of super-specialist doctors at AGMC and GBP Hospital has already objected to the decision, alleging that it was taken without adequate consultation.
Sinha argued that while the government aspires to establish an AIIMS-like healthcare system, Tripura's government hospitals currently lack the necessary infrastructure, manpower and facilities to support such a model.
Citing an example, he said there are around 20 nursing homes in Agartala where nearly 20 Caesarean deliveries are performed every morning. With the ban on private practice, these services have reportedly been severely affected. At the same time, he said, GBP Hospital does not have sufficient infrastructure or manpower to handle such a large number of maternity cases, forcing pregnant women to endure long queues and considerable hardship.
Highlighting the existing challenges at GBP Hospital, Sinha said the hospital is already overcrowded, while administrative shortcomings continue to inconvenience patients. According to him, patients are spending nearly two hours just to obtain an outpatient ticket and another two hours waiting to consult a doctor.
He asserted that unless issues such as staff shortages, promotions, infrastructure deficiencies and inadequate ICU and operation theatre facilities are addressed, merely banning private practice would further worsen patient suffering and place additional pressure on the public healthcare system.
Demanding the immediate withdrawal of what he described as a "hasty and unrealistic" decision, Sinha announced that the All India Panchayat Parishad would organize a peaceful Dharna and demonstration on July 5 from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm at the Gandhi statue near Circuit House in Agartala. He said the organisers have already obtained the necessary permission from the administration.
Sinha appealed to people from all sections of society, as well as legislators from his party, to participate in the protest. However, he expressed hope that the ongoing discussions between the Health Secretary and doctors' organisations would lead to a positive resolution. If no satisfactory outcome emerges, he said, the organisation would continue its agitation.
Also present at the press conference were All India Panchayat Parishad State General Secretary Runu Miah and District Congress President Mohammad Badruzzaman.