Doctors under DME not allowed to do private practice: Kerala Health Minister

Alappuzha: Doctors under the Directorate of Medical Education in Kerala are not permitted to do private practice and action is being taken against those found doing so, state Health Minister Veena George said here on Friday. George, speaking to reporters, said the issue has come to the attention of the government and it was carrying out the necessary intervention to address the problem.

The minister said that doctors under the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) are not permitted to do private practice and therefore, they are given a non-practice allowance for that.

"Therefore, anyone conducting private practice is committing an illegality," she said.

George said there were serious problems of doctors not making use of the punch-in system of attendance in many medical colleges and a proper investigation was carried out in the matter to find out if the medical professionals were on leave or simply absent.

Based on the findings of the investigation there has been appropriate and strict intervention from the government's side, the minister said.

"Doctors in the field of medical education and coming under the DME are not permitted to carry out private practice," she emphasised.