Avadhi Lanka has taken up the issue of the abuse of private practice by government doctors following press reports that 15 doctors in Kurunegala have been detected engaging in private practice when they should have been working in hospitals.

The NGO which describes itself as an "organisation for the promotion of public morality and civic accountability'' while commending the Health Ministry for making the detections, stressed that this alone would not bring the desired results "unless and until disciplinary action is completed by imposing deterrent punishment.''

A statement signed by Mr. R.M.B. Senanayake, the general secretary of Avadhi Lanka said: "We have plenty of rules and regulations which are observed in the breach except by a microscopic minority of conscientious persons. In any society honesty must be appreciated and rewarded. The dishonest should be made to pay for their dishonesty by being penalised adequately.''

The statement said that if the department needed the doctors concerned and cannot impose the punishment they deserve, the concession of private practice should be withdrawn from them at least temporarily. It called upon the department to disclose the names of the doctors detected doing private practice during hospital hours.