Lucknow, Aug 20 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh government is mulling a proposal to allow doctors to do private practice at state-run healthcare facilities, with certain conditions.

The move is aimed at checking migration of doctors.

The initiative may begin from Lucknow’s Kalyan Singh Super Speciality Cancer Institute and Hospital (KSSSCIH), said a government spokesman.

The institute is preparing a draft, replicating the prevailing incentive-based system at the Tata Memorial Hospital.

As per the proposal, doctors at KSSSCIH can take incentives based on their performance and also get a share in the revenue. Once successful, the model may be replicated at other institutes under the medical education department in UP.

Under the model, a major share of the institute’s earning will go to the doctor, a part for research projects in the department concerned and a portion of the earning will go towards the infrastructure of the institute.

“Once the draft proposal is approved and implemented, fresh appointments will be made as per the incentive-based system,” said Prof R K Dhiman, director, KSSSCIH.

A team of the KSSSCIH had gone to study the Tata hospital model in Varanasi. Based on it and the requirement in UP, a proposal is being prepared.

Asked about the existing faculty, Dhiman said, “The decision on options to the existing faculty will be taken later by the state government.”

“The change in service rules and implementation of private practice or incentive-based earning will benefit patients coming to medical institutes. Doctors at the institutes will be motivated to work for more hours and see more patients,” said Dr Amit Singh, general secretary of the Provincial Medical Services Association (PMSA) - the body of government doctors in UP.

“The option to work more and earn more is what lures doctors towards private sector. If this is available at government institute, the brain drain will stop,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general, Association of International Doctors.

The shortage of doctors has made the state government think about allowing private practice.

Uttar Pradesh has 19,000 sanctioned posts of doctors, but the state has 14,000 doctors in 75 districts. As a result, OPDs are overloaded at almost all the 167 district level hospitals and community health centres.

At least two dozen senior faculty members have left two premier institutes - KGMU and RMLIMS - to join private hospitals. UP’s first medical oncology department was set up at Lohia institute, but the doctor who established it left the institute. At KGMU too, over a dozen doctors left to join the private sector.