Ranchi, Oct. 14: Government doctors can earn money from private practice but only after duty hours, the state government said today.

A U-turn from the state's blanket ban on private practice, this move is seen as the government's bid to placate the 1,500 doctors under Jharkhand State Health Services Association (JSHSA) who had threatened to resign on October 15 over this and 19 other demands.

After today's decision, JSHSA doctors put their mass resignation bid on hold.

However, health minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi, who along with additional chief secretary and health secretary K. Vidyasagar held marathon talks with JSHSA and state Indian Medical Association (IMA) representatives at the minister's chamber in Nepal House, clarified the permission to practise privately came with riders.

"No government doctor can practise at any district other than their place of posting and can only do so after regular duty hours. The doctor must also inform the government that he or she is engaged in private practice," the health minister said.

The minister added another valid point, that doctors should in no way instigate patients or even suggest they come to the private clinics, but did not specify how this would be monitored at the ground level.

Finally, the minister stressed specialists posted at primary and community health centres must involve themselves in special cases at district hospitals whenever called.

Other demands of the doctors that Chandravanshi and Vidyasagar were "considering" included that of child care leave for lady doctors with small children, 50 per cent reservation of PG seats for MBBS doctors serving in rural and remote areas in Jharkhand, no matter their previous university, and stress on the medic's choice of posting three years before retirement.

However, the state stayed firm on biometric attendance, something the doctors had wanted to be scrapped.

Turning down this demand, Chandravanshi said: "We will look into how it can be simplified for doctors going on calls or sent on VIP duties, but it will not be removed."

Vidyasagar said a secondary register would be maintained wherein doctors can sign to affirm their presence in case of technical snags in the biometric device or if they had to attend VIP calls.

However, JSHSA secretary Dr Bimlesh Kumar Singh maintained they were happy their concerns "were heard".

Other demands in the doctors' 20-point charter of demands included a new transfer policy, implementation of Medical Protection Act, reduction of duty hours from 12 to eight, appointment of more specialists, among others.