Private practice after office hours by doctors at government hospitals in different districts and upazilas across the country was launched on Thursday.
The service will be offered by doctors of the state-run hospitals in exchange of fees, and authorities are officially calling it an “institutional practice” by doctors.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque formally inaugurated the programme styled “Afternoon chamber by doctors at government hospitals” at conference room of the ministry in the capital.
Primarily the institutional practice on a piloting scale was launched in 12 sadar hospitals and 39 upazila hospitals in the country to ensure healthcare service to the patients, he said.
The minister said, “We are going to launch the institutional practice as the pilot project from today. Common people will be able to get healthcare services from specialist doctors from 3:00pm as the doctors will see patients at their chambers in the afternoon”.
Read more: Doctors at 30 govt hospitals can run private practice in own institutions from March 30: Minister
He said the doctors will get chance to see the patients along with different check-ups from 3:00pm to 6:00pm as their duties end at 2:30pm.
The institutional practice will be launched at every district and upazila in phases, he said, adding that the hospitals those could prepare themselves within the short time were attached to the inaugural programme now, he said.
He hoped that all the hospitals across the country will be brought under the project within this year.
The hospitals those brought under the launched programme are in Dhaka, Manikganj, Rajbari, Narayanganj, Tangail, Kishoreganj, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, Feni, Cox’s Bazar, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, Chattogram, Cumilla, Bandarban, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Netrokona, Khulna, Jhenaidah, Jashore, Magura, Kushtia, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Rangpur, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Barishal, Bhola, Sylhet and Sunamganj among others.
The government fixed Tk 500 as honorarium for senior professors under the project, Tk 400 for assistant professors and senior consultants, Tk 300 for assistant professors and junior consultants, and Tk 200 for physicians having MBBS and BDA.