Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday inaugurated after-hours chamber services in 12 district hospitals and 39 upazila health complexes.
With this move, government-hospital doctors will be allowed to run private practices at their institutions after office hours.
The health minister inaugurated this service in the conference room of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
At this time, he talked virtually with the authorities of Tungipara Upazila Health Complex of Gopalganj and Manikganj Sadar Hospital.
The minister said this service has been launched as a pilot project. “Later, this service will be introduced in all hospitals,” he said.
Currently, government doctors see patients from 8am to 2pm at hospitals. With this initiative, doctors will be allowed to run private practices by rotation from 3pm to 6pm.
The government has also fixed Tk500 as honorarium for senior professors, Tk400 for assistant professors and senior consultants, Tk300 for assistant professors and junior consultants, and Tk200 for physicians having MBBS and BDA.
The government has taken the initiative since there are widespread allegations that the doctors skip duties, especially at the district and upazila levels, and tend to see patients at private chambers.
