PESHAWAR, May 29: The NWFP health department has warned senior doctors doing private practice in the morning of disciplinary action. The action came following reports that some teachers of the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Lady Reading Hospital and the Hayatabad Medical Complex are pursuing in private practice during their duty hours in the hospitals.

The health department issued an order on May 27, warning doctors through the chief executives of the teaching hospitals against the practice.

The order said some members of the teaching staff had been found practising out of their stations of duty on working days.

“All concerned are hereby directed to stop this practice forthwith as it is in gross violation of rules and regulations and breach of discipline and medical ethics,” said the order.

Officials said letters seeking explanation had been issued to some doctors against whom the authorities had proofs.

“Some doctors who remained absent from their duties in the past month were found carrying out operations in private medical centres. But we are giving them a chance to refrain from such practices in future,” said an official.

He said that the principals of the Khyber Medical College and the Khyber College of Dentistry and medical superintendents of the three teaching hospitals had been asked to ensure the implementation of the order.

The order asked the officials concerned to pinpoint doctors violating the rules so that disciplinary proceedings could be initiated against them.