Surkhet. The Karnali state government has directed the doctors working in government hospitals not to leave the services of government hospitals and work in private hospitals.

The Ministry of Social Development of the state government has issued this directive after receiving public complaints that government doctors work in private hospitals and medical institutions during office hours. Ministry Secretary Dholak Raj Dhakal has issued a directive stating that action will be taken as per the prevailing law without doing so to provide services to the subordinate doctors, health workers and employees in the government hospitals during office hours.

It has been said that working in a private health institution while in government service during office hours, publishing or broadcasting advertisements for that purpose, and doing so would be against the prevailing law and morality. “All doctors, health workers and employees working in the ministry and subordinate bodies have been directed to perform their duties in accordance with the dignity of office, personal conduct and professional discipline as the practice of working and advertising in private health institutions without providing service in the hospital during office hours is against the law,” reads the notice. ’

Chief of the Health Division under the Ministry, Brish Bahadur Shahi, said that the directive was issued after receiving complaints that government doctors were working in private clinics by not providing service in the hospital during office hours.

According to the Provision related to service facilities of employees÷ doctors working in Karnali State, 2076 BS, civil servants or doctors will get the facilities only after self-declaration that they are not working in private health institutions. However, in the recent past, there have been complaints that doctors and health workers of various government hospitals are working in private health institutions without self-declaration and taking service facilities from the state government.

The Ministry has warned that action will be taken as per the Nepal Health Service Act, 2053, Nepal Health Service Regulations, 2055 and Karnali State Civil Service Act, 2080 if any doctor or health worker is found indulging in such activities from now on.