Patna: The Bihar government has taken what it described as a historic step towards reforming public healthcare, announcing a complete ban on private practice for doctors working in government hospitals, medical colleges and health centres across the state.
The decision, taken under chief minister Nitish Kumar’s flagship governance programme Saat Nischay-3, is intended to ensure the regular presence of doctors in public facilities and improve the quality and timeliness of treatment, particularly for poorer patients.
Following the announcement, the health department has constituted a high-level committee to frame the detailed policy and implementation roadmap. Officials said the move was driven by longstanding complaints that some government doctors prioritised private clinics during official duty hours, leaving patients in public hospitals underserved.
“The objective is to strengthen health services and restore public trust in government hospitals,” a senior official said, adding that the policy would require doctors to give full priority to public service and remove the perceived need for private practice.
The government has also indicated that doctors will be offered additional incentives, especially for service in rural and remote areas, to compensate for the loss of private income and encourage better healthcare delivery outside urban centres. Officials believe the move could reduce the need for rural patients to travel long distances to cities for treatment.
The policy-drafting committee will be chaired by Dr Rekha Jha, director general (nursing and disease control) in the health department. Other members include the superintendent of Patna Medical College and Hospital, the principal of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Dr K K Mani, president of the Bihar Health Services Association, its general secretary Dr Rohit Kumar, and Dr Vibhuti Prasad Singh, head of ophthalmology at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences.
By including representatives of doctors’ associations, the government has signalled that the ban will be implemented after consultations with stakeholders, rather than imposed unilaterally.
Health officials said an effective rollout could help curb long waiting times, reduce doctor absenteeism and limit arbitrary referrals from public to private facilities. The committee is expected to submit its recommendations soon, after which the final policy will be notified, paving the way for a statewide ban on private practice by government doctors.
