Former Tripura Chief Minister and former Politburo member Manik Sarkar has urged the state government to reconsider its decision to prohibit private practice by government doctors, claiming the move has placed an excessive burden on public hospitals and caused significant inconvenience to patients.

Speaking to reporters, Sarkar said that doctors at Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital (GB Hospital) stopped private practice from Monday in compliance with the government's directive. Since then, he alleged, the number of patients at GB Hospital, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGM Hospital), and other government healthcare facilities has increased sharply.

According to Sarkar, patients arriving from different parts of the state are being forced to wait in long queues for treatment, while overcrowding in outpatient departments is affecting the delivery of healthcare services and causing hardships for patients and their families.

He said the government should have taken into account the existing healthcare infrastructure and its capacity before implementing such a significant policy decision. Sarkar argued that the current infrastructure, along with the available number of doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, and medical facilities, is inadequate to handle the sudden surge in patient footfall.

He further stressed that the government should first strengthen the public healthcare system by ensuring adequate staffing, modern medical equipment, and improved infrastructure before enforcing a ban on private practice. Implementing the decision without sufficient preparation, he said, has made the situation more challenging for both patients and healthcare professionals.

Sarkar maintained that the primary objective of the healthcare system should be to safeguard the interests of the public. He called on the state government to immediately review the decision and introduce effective alternative measures to ensure uninterrupted and accessible healthcare services for patients.