Pay clinic scheme pave the way for privatization – IDPD
Pay clinic scheme pave the way for privatization – IDPD
Ferozepur, November 29, 2023: The Pay Clinic scheme is an attempt to undermine the public health system and ultimately pave the way for complete privatization, said Dr Arun Mitra-President, Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD).
As per this scheme, specialist and super-specialist doctors in the state services will be given the facility to examine the patients at the government hospital facilities and charge from the patients. The fee charged from the patients will be shared among specialists, supporting staff and facilities. This means with the implementation of Pay Clinic, doctors can do private practice at public hospital premises after their duty hours.
The government’s contention that this is to sustain the specialist and super specialist services in the government sector is untenable. Doctors prefer to go into private practice because the salary structure in the state sector is low. With meagre public spending on health, the government is not able to attract the doctors to the state services. Dr Arun Mitra-President, Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) said that the only way out is that better infrastructure and facilities should be provided in public hospitals. It is worth noting here that the out of pocket expenditure on health is maximum in Punjab out of all states of the country.
Dr Indervir Gill -Member Central Council of the IDPD said that it is the lower income group strata who visit the state facilities as they are unable to pay for the healthcare. Now onwards they will have to pay in the government facilities as well. According to the World Health Organisation the government should spend at least 5% of their GDP on the medical sector.
However, the BJP-led Union government has limited the spending on health to 1.98% of GDP which is even less than many underdeveloped countries. The Punjab government had allocated only 1.5% to 2% to this sector. According NITI Aayog Index, Punjab ranks lowest in terms of allocation to healthcare.
