Former Tripura Health Minister and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman on Tuesday warned that the state government could face serious consequences over its decision to restrict in-service doctors and professors at GB Pant Hospital and Agartala Government Medical College from engaging in private practice.

Roy Barman said that although an official notification on the matter has not yet been issued, many doctors have already stopped private practice. He claimed this shift is already affecting hospital services, with increased patient load and overcrowding in outpatient departments.

He criticized the policy, calling it impractical and warning that it may push several experienced doctors, particularly those nearing retirement or with long service records, to leave. According to him, such an outcome would negatively impact both healthcare delivery and medical education. He also questioned who would be responsible for teaching students at the medical college if senior faculty members step away from service.

Taking a political swipe at Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, who also holds the Health Minister’s portfolio, Roy Barman remarked that when the Chief Minister was a professor at Tripura Medical College, he himself had engaged in private practice.

He suggested that instead of a complete ban, the government should have implemented stricter regulations to ensure doctors do not conduct private practice during official working hours. He further argued that doctors cannot be expected to work beyond their scheduled duty hours under the current system, emphasizing the need for a more structured roster-based duty arrangement that could ensure the availability of senior doctors round the clock. He added that at present, interns are often left to manage extended responsibilities in hospitals after regular hours.

Responding to comparisons with the AIIMS model, he said such systems cannot be replicated without matching pay scales, infrastructure, and facilities, which he claimed are not available in the state.

Roy Barman also launched a sharp attack on the BJP over alleged irregularities related to Ram Mandir donations. Speaking in strong terms, he said those responsible should be condemned and accused them of betraying public faith.

He further stated that people would eventually be forced to choose between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lord Ram, alleging that the handling of donations and temple-related funds had damaged public sentiment. He also referred to alleged irregularities in trust formation, land dealings, construction work, and misuse of donations, claiming these actions had brought embarrassment to religious sentiments at a broader level.