PESHAWAR, March 4: In an attempt to woo the agitating doctors, the NWFP government is likely to offer incentives to public sector doctors for joining institution-based private practice, according to a provincial health department handout, issued here on Sunday.
“The government is considering to provide them (doctors) other incentives which include rebate in the income tax and promotion at fast pace whereas a summary is also being moved to the provincial governor to enhance the non-practicing allowance for doctors from Rs4,000 to Rs6,000,” says the official handout.
The government, it adds, has initiated disciplinary proceedings against those doctors, who took their case to the press and held a news conference on Saturday without seeking permission from the authorities concerned.
Official sources told Dawn that at least three to four doctors would be issued show-cause notices. The approval of the governor to issue the notices would be sought on Monday, they said.
In a related development, the government has taken measures to involve district Nazims and representatives of the local councils, besides activating the executive district officer (health) to take on quacks and ensure application of relevant laws and regulations.
The handout claims that senior registrars and specialists have started opting to join the institution-based private practice as a result of which doctors’ availability in hospitals improved on Saturday as against Friday — the first day of the institution-based private practice.
It says some doctors have showed willingness to enter into joint ventures with the government bringing under use the equipment installed at their private clinics.
“Dr Mustafa Iqbal, assistant professor, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, has offered his expensive vetrio-retinal equipment on such basis (joint venture with government],” says the handout, while explaining the response of the public sector doctors coming to terms with the government.
The health department has provided details of the patients treated under the institution-based private practice on Friday and Saturday in different parts of the provinces and its adjoining tribal areas.
The results reflect an improvement in the number of patients, who opted to get treatment under the institution-based private practice on its second day of launch on Saturday.