The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) expressed its approval of the Office Memorandum (OM) issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland (DoHFW) to in-service government doctors in the state to stop private practice within one month.

In a press release, the federation said that this step “will go a long way in ensuring that the ordinary citizens of the state are provided with proper consultations and care by the doctors serving in the government” while also checking government doctors indulging in private practices and drawing Non Practicing Allowance (NPA). It also mentioned that the strict implementation of the OM will prevent “the unnecessary draining of the state exchequer by these doctors”.

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Stating that it has been a “long standing demand of the NSF that the DoHFW should crack the whip on those doctors indulging in the unethical practice of private practices or running their private hospitals despite availing the benefit of NPA,” the federation appreciated Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for making the effort “to streamline the system of governance to benefit the common people.”

Further, NSF appealed all Deputy Commissioners to enforce the OM duly, as entrusted by the health department which it said will transform the healthcare landscape in Nagaland.