Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir clarified that the Health Department has not imposed a ban on the private practice of any doctor.
The health department has directed hospital heads to allow private practice during evening hours in government hospitals to better serve patients. This means that patients will have access to quality care during these evening hours when doctors are offering private consultations.
The health department has decided to permit private practice in government hospitals to improve the health system. This initiative is already running successfully in evening hours at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Lahore, and the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC).
Recently, the Punjab Health Department unveiled a new rotation policy for postgraduate training. The revised policy will modify the training schedules and assignments for postgraduate doctors, affecting how their practical education and rotations are arranged.
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Under the new policy, postgraduate trainees in government hospitals must do their rotations at the same hospital or the closest government hospital. They are not allowed to rotate in hospitals located in other cities.
The policy also prevents postgraduate trainees from private hospitals from rotating in government hospitals. It also requires the cancellation of any existing agreements between public hospitals and private institutions about trainee rotations.
