Central govt doctors can have private practice, tele-consultancy without permission during Covid-19 pandemic

All central government doctors will be allowed to conduct practice or provide tele-consultation outside official duty during the Covid-19 pandemic without taking permission from superior officers, amid people finding it difficult to consult a medical practitioner with several hospitals out of bounds for out-patients.

The order was issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on Wednesday after it received queries and requests from government servants for providing tele-consultation during the pandemic.

At present, a medical practitioner in any system of medicine will have to take permission from the Heads of Department for conducting practice during their "spare time" on a "purely charitable basis" without detriment to the official duties.

The DoPT said the decision has been taken in view of the unprecedented rise in the number of Covid-19 cases and meant to utilise the in-house capabilities available in the government to contain the spread of Covid-19 and to provide relief to the public.

"...it has been decided that the Central government employees holding recognised qualifications in any system of medicine...requires no permission from the Head of Departments concerned to undertake the practice/provide tele-consultation, subject to the condition that such practice/telecommunication is undertaken during spare time, on a purely charitable basis, without detriment to the official duties of the government servant concerned," the order said.

However, it said, it was desirable that these doctors should keep their departments concerned informed for record purposes only.

People have been finding it difficult to reach out to doctors after the second wave of Covid-19 hit the country as several hospitals were converted into Covid-19 facilities.