Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences would open paid clinics to curb the lure of private practice among its doctors.

Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi would inaugurate the facility, which would start from October 18.

The paid clinics would allow doctors to earn extra, as they would get half of the consultation fee taken from a patient. This income of doctors would be in addition to the non-practising allowance they get.

The decision assumes significance as some of the IGIMS doctors were found indulging in private practice recently. The IGIMS administration had initiated action against the erring doctors but the decision was withdrawn after pressure from the institute doctors.

According to rules, no IGIMS doctor can be allowed private practice because all of them are entitled to non-practising allowance on the lines of those in All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Doctors of IGIMS get something between Rs 25,000 and Rs 35,000 as non-practicing allowance in addition to their salary that varies from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.4 lakh depending on designations.

On the paid clinics, IGIMS director N.R. Biswas said: “Initially, paid clinics of four departments — gastroenterology, cardiology, nephrology and urology — would be started. All are super-speciality departments.”

The paid clinics would have online registration facility.

“Patients can get registered from their home. Patients would have to stand in a separate queue for treatment at the paid clinics. The number of consultations would be fixed and patients more than that number would not be given time. So, people coming to the paid clinic would not have to jostle in the crowd because there would be a handful patients at the paid clinics.”

Patients will have to cough up Rs 500 to get consultation at a paid clinic.

On why the fee was so high, Biswas said: “While 50 per cent of the fee would be given to the doctor, the rest would go to the hospital. Sweepers, grade-III and IV employees would be given a share from the money that the hospital would receive from the paid clinic. This is being done because grade-III and IV employees would also devote their time to the clinic. So, they would be entitled to the extra money for their additional work,” said Biswas.

Apart from paid clinics, an eye bank, a 60-bed surgical block, a blood component separator machine and operating theatre would also be added to the hospital.

“We have made arrangements for the eye bank. The registration for donors and recipients has started. We have made arrangements for technicians, equipment and all other things necessary for starting the eye bank. At present there is not a single functional eye bank in the state. This facility would be a big achievement,” said the IGIMS director.

On the eye bank, he said: “People can inform us on a number if they want to donate their eyes.”