Reader TTS

As per the existing West Bengal Medical Education Service (WBMES) service rules, teaching doctors of state-run medical colleges and hospitals are allowed to do private practice within a

maximum 20 km away from his or her respective workplaces. But for professor Kumaresh Chandra Sarkar, an ophthalmologist of the Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Government Medical College Hospital

(SCCGMCH) in Uluberia of Howrah, the WBMES rules are not applicable at all. Advertisement A recent order issued by the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) on 26 May approved only Prof

(Dr) Sarkar out of 20 medical teachers of different government teaching hospitals across the state for private practice at two places – Bongaon Lalit Mohan Memorial Eye Foundation and Sree

Guru Optics & Clinics in Ishapur – both in North 24-Parganas district. Advertisement The distance between Uluberia and Bongaon is around 130 km while it’s 60 km for Uluberia-Ishapur. The

order signed by Prof (Dr) Indrajit Saha, newly-appointed director of medical education (DME), has issued a list of the 20 doctors in different streams like respiratory medicine, general

medicine, general surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, radiotherapy, paediatric medicine, ophthalmology etc stating: “The following Medical Teachers of West Bengal Medical Education Services

are hereby allowed to engage in private practice with effect from the date mentioned against each at column No ‘3’ (as per option exercised by them as per rule).” The column ‘3’ in the list

consisting of four columns mentions the date of joining in the present post and engaging in private practice for these medical teachers. Prof (Dr) Sarkar has been doing the private practice

in the two eye care facilities in Bongaon and Ishapur respectively since 12 July in 2024 when he joined the medical college in Uluberia. Interestingly, the 19 other doctors are doing

private practices within the permissible distance between their respective medical colleges and private healthcare units. Many senior faculties in the SCCGMCH raised their eyebrows after

seeing the list. Requesting anonymity, one faculty questioned why the DME allows only one out of 20 doctors to go for private practice 130 away from his official place of work? Is it

possible for a teaching doctor to attend to patients in his or her college every working day in a week at a time when he or she is allowed for private practice in a remote place? Prof (Dr)

Sanat Ghosh, principal of the SCCGMCH, said: “I will go through the order first and then comment on it. We will inform the health department seeking its interventions if Prof (Dr) Sarkar is

found doing private practice far away from his medical college.” Prof Saha said, “We will rectify it soon.” Advertisement