GUWAHATI, June 30 - Doctors of Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) will henceforth refrain from private practice, paving way for a better academic pursuit of the doctors as well as better doctor-patients relations. The BBCI that will embrace a new set of rules from July 1 under the Department of Atomic Energy and Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, will offer a 20 to 40 per cent salary hike to its staff along with other facilities as a Central government institute.
Complimenting the doctors of the hospital for gracefully accepting the provision of refraining from private practice, BBCI Director Dr Amal Chandra Kataki said the changes implemented by the BBCI would set an example in the State�s healthcare sector.
According to Dr Kataki, several doctors of the institute have already opted for the non-practising allowance (NPA) and the rest are also willing to give up private practice that would definitely upgrade the standard of healthcare in the State.
�BBCI at present has 225 regular and 92 contractual employees, 42 doctors, 26 post-graduate doctors and 69 nurses. Now, after becoming a Central government institute, not just the future of the employees has become secured, but a lot of thrust is also being given on improving the existing facilities,� he further mentioned.
BBCI employees will get special duty allowance of 10 per cent of the basic pay for working in the North East, transport allowance and children education allowance along with several other facilities. For senior doctors, a separate Shared Hospital Income (SHI) will be implemented shortly. Moreover, the implementation of Performance Related Incentive Scheme (PRIS-O) and Professional Update Allowance is under consideration.
In an attempt to build a patient-friendly environment, BBCI is also trying to make available highly subsidised anti-cancer medicines that would be at par with the Tata Memorial Hospital.
For the convenience of patients, the hospital OPD will remain open from 9 am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday and 9 am to 1.30 pm on Saturdays. All employees of BBCI will work for 42 hours a week and this will give an opportunity to the patients to attend OPD till 5 pm.
