Patna: The Bihar Health Department has taken the first step towards a major change in the state’s healthcare system. On Friday, a special committee met in Patna to begin work on a new policy that may ban private practice for government doctors. The meeting was held at the Health Department office and was chaired by Director-General Dr Rekha Jha. All members of the committee attended and shared their views on how such a policy could be created and what problems may arise.
Dr Jha said that this was only the beginning and that many more meetings would be organised in the coming weeks. She explained that the committee would carefully study all suggestions, opinions and concerns raised by its members. After detailed discussions, a complete proposal will be prepared and then submitted to the state government for final approval. Officials said the aim is to make sure the policy is fair, practical and beneficial for both doctors and patients.
The committee was formed after an official order was issued on January 28. The order clearly stated that government doctors should focus on their duties in public hospitals and health centres. It also mentioned that a strong policy is needed to stop private practice while offering better incentives to doctors who serve full-time in government hospitals. The main goal of this step is to improve medical services in villages and remote areas, where people often struggle to get proper treatment.
Many patients in Bihar depend on government hospitals for affordable healthcare. However, the shortage of doctors in public hospitals has been a long-standing problem, partly because many doctors run private clinics after office hours. Health officials believe that if government doctors give their full time to public hospitals, the quality of care will improve and waiting times will reduce. The government hopes that this new policy will strengthen the public health system and make healthcare more accessible for everyone across the state.
