Kerala Govt Issues New Guidelines for Private Practice of Govt Doctors

New rules prohibit government doctors from conducting private practice within a 1-kilometer radius of their workplace hospital.

The Kerala government has introduced updated guidelines regulating the private practice of doctors working in the health services sector.

These guidelines, which amend the conduct rules for government servants, aim to ensure transparency and prevent conflicts of interest.

Under the new rules, government doctors are prohibited from conducting private practice within a 1 km radius of the hospital where they are employed.

The only exceptions are if the practice is conducted in their own home or in government quarters provided by the hospital.

Furthermore, doctors are not allowed to engage in private practice in commercial buildings or facilities attached to laboratories, scanning centers, medical institutions, or pharmacies.

Limits on Equipment Use

Government doctors are restricted to using the bare minimum of equipment when diagnosing illnesses during private practice.

However, dental practitioners are permitted to use a dental chair and minimal necessary tools for their work.

The guidelines also strictly prohibit doctors from referring patients from their private practice to the government hospital where they work for services such as medication administration or injections.

Additionally, doctors are forbidden from using government hospital resources, including medicines and facilities, for their private practice.

Document Verification for Practice Location

To ensure compliance, doctors are required to submit proof of residence if conducting private practice at home.

Acceptable documents include an Aadhaar card, electricity or water bills, telephone bills, or a building tax receipt. If these documents are unavailable, a residence certificate from the local governing body must be provided.

These new guidelines seek to streamline the private practice of government doctors while maintaining ethical standards and transparency in the healthcare sector.

In another development, Kerala’s Health Minister Veena George last month introduced digital payment systems in 63 government hospitals, including taluk hospitals and medical colleges under the eHealth scheme.

With 249 POS machines, patients can now pay using debit cards, credit cards, and UPI. The state also plans to launch an online booking system for Outpatient (OP) tickets, allowing the public to scan QR codes to avoid queues.