Tata Hospital implements new rules

mumbai: tata memorial hospital’s governing council’s new rules came into effect on april 1 and some doctors, especially surgeons, are unhappy about the restriction on their private practice, which have reduced their monetary incentives. tata memorial’s director k.a. dinshaw says that the situation at the hospital has changed and the doctors are required to devote all their time to the hospital.dr dinshaw says that an institute cannot afford to favour any one group of its staff over others. “it leads to management problems. in fact, other staff in the hospital have been discontented because surgeons were reaping maximum benefits from private practice,’’ she says. the ongoing tugs within tata memorial hospital reflect critical issues faced by several public hospitals. how can a government institute, which can’t match the salaries of the private sector, retain good doctors? how does it strike a balance between social goals and market demands? some doctors feel that despite the ban on private practice, tata memorial will continue to attract the best professionals.“as a doctor at tata memorial, you can set clinical trends for the rest of south asia. you are invited to international conferences, and there is immense peer recognition,’’ points out s. pradhan, who recently left tata memorial for prince aly khan hospital. others are less optimistic. they fear that surgeons will stay on for a few years to obtain experience and reputation, and then jump ship under the lure of lucre. the management should provide better remuneration for public sector doctors, they add. “otherwise, there will be a gradual attrition of talent, especially at the senior level,’’ predicts a doctor.