RAWALPINDI, March 26: The health department will constitute vigilance committees to enforce ban on private practice of government doctors and check other irregularities in the hospitals, official sources said on Tuesday.

The Punjab government had banned the private procedural practice of the clinicians at the government hospitals in January.

The private practice of the members of the hospital administration and certain other cadres was also banned. However, this ban is yet to be enforced, pending the appointment of the board of governors.

Private practice has been completely banned for principal executive officers, deputy deans, medical superintendents, medical officers, casualty medical officers, house officers, registrars and senior registrars.

Doctors of other ceders have been permitted to do consultation practice after their duty hours at the institution, their residence, and in clinics not attached to any premises having in-patient and procedural practice facilities.

They would, however, not be allowed procedural practice, which they would be doing in their respective institutions.

The vigilance committees will look into the patients’ complaints about unscrupulous practices of doctors. Complaints of coercion, harassment and indifference of medical staff will be investigated by the committees, and strict action be taken against those found guilty.

The recommendations of the committees will then be forwarded to the board of governors for ratification.

The vigilance bodies, having two members each, will also oversee the working of the hospitals in general.

The sources said the health department planed to optimize utilization of hospital equipment, help junior doctors benefit from the experience of senior colleagues, and increase the finances of the hospitals through enforcement of ban on private practice.