Directorate lacks capacity to monitor Pvt hospitals
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 23 2013:
Although private hospitals are set up after being registered at the Medical Directorate and its Director is the controlling officer of private hospitals, the directorate lacks the capacity to monitor private hospitals effectively.
Private hospitals set up in the State are registered at the Medical Directorate under the Manipur Nursing Home Act.
Sources informed that the Medical Directorate's failure to monitor private hospitals effectively has been encouraging more and more Government doctors to join private hospitals.
According to rules, Government doctors receiving non-practising allowances are prohibited from working in private hospitals.
Generally, when private hospitals are registered at the Medical Directorate, registration is done in the name of a retired employee.
But when it comes to management of private hospitals, many working Government doctors join the management groups or boards.
Although these facts are known to the Medical Directorate, it is unable to take up any action.
The Directorate is unable to take up any action even as it is fully aware that many Government doctors receiving non-practising allowances have been working in private hospitals because of nepotism.
Another major factor is strong pressure exerted by higher authority.
At the time of registration, facilities available at the new private hospital are examined minutely.
Whenever meetings were held to implement rules, pay surprise visits and inspect private hospitals and take up action against wrong doers, whatever transpired during the meetings get leaked to higher authority, disclosed the sources.
Then the higher authority would say next day, "Let's do it a little later.
Let's us watch them for a for sometime".
These words unfailingly made the subordinate officers helpless.
Even though, most of the doctors did their medical courses with much efforts, majority of them seemed to have taken their profession as a means of earning big and quick money and nothing else.
Many Government doctors earn money for diagnosing patients at home and private hospitals apart from enjoying monthly salaries as well as non-practising allowance given by Government.
In the back of such a scenario, it is essential to let the Medical Directorate exercise its powers, the sources added.