Nellore: In the wake of instructions from medical and health minister Dr Kamineni Srinivas to initiate action against government doctors ignoring their duties, head of the departments in the district headquarters hospital and the government medical college have been gearing up to issue memos to the medical officers absenting to their duties without prior information and also to those going home after lunch hour.
Incidentally some medical officers record their attendance in the biometric attendance system and leave the hospital for private practice, it was alleged. However, they dutifully return before 4 pm to record departure time in the system since their working hours are from 9 am to 4 pm. The practice has been continuing in PHCs, Community Health Centres and even in Area Hospitals also.
Armed with the information received from intelligence department on the medical officers, who are paying special attention to their private practice and neglecting their duties, district authorities are also planning to conduct surprise checks soon. The health minister also hinted about this pointing to information available with the Collector on erring medical and health department officials.
According to medical and health wing officials, there are 154 doctors working in 77 Primary Health Centres, 68 working in 17 Community Health Centres and 57 in 3 Area Hospitals in the district and majority of them are not regular to their duties. Though the government had introduced Aadhaar linked biometric attendance system to ensure attendance of the doctors, it has not changed the situation much.
For instance doctors working in one PHC or CHC are recording the attendance in the health centre close to their homes and the detection is possible only if the printout of the attendance is closely verified. In some places, the biometric equipment itself is being made non-functional to get rid of the headache, a technical expert alleged.
When contacted, District Collector R. Muthyala Raju said he got information from several sources on medical officers who are irregular to their duties and he already cautioned them to mend their ways or face disciplinary action. He said he will be making surprise checks and will not spare anyone if they are absent without prior permission.
