Cuttack: Suspension of a doctor at VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Sambalpur for his alleged private practice during duty hours indicates lack of a proper mechanism to curb absenteeism at government-run healthcare institutions.
Apart from VIMSAR, doctors devoting time to private clinics during duty hours and absenteeism are very common for SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack and MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, said sources.
Health experts opine that lack of stringent action and absence of biometric attendance system at hospitals encourage the government doctors and health staff to leave the workplace at their own sweet will. “They mark their presence in the register and leave for private clinics during office hours, thus leaving patients at government hospitals in the lurch,” they added. In a bid to plug theses loopholes, the Medical Council of India (MCI) had decided to put in place biometric attendance system in both private and government hospitals under the Digital Mission project. Accordingly, the regulator had also notified the medical colleges in March this year.
Though most of the private medical colleges in the state have installed the facility, the three premier government healthcare institutions are yet to ensure complete installation of the devices. “Even as a few devices have been installed at the hospitals under National Health Mission (NHM), some unscrupulous elements have made them defunct,” they added.
Installation of the devices would greatly help in curbing absenteeism at hospitals. The hospital staffers are required to mark the attendance on biometric device using their fingertip everyday while reporting and leaving. “The authorities will have the access to the staffer’s attendance details which will help monitor the presence, salary and work status of the faculty on a real-time basis,” sources said. Health Minister Pratap Jena had made surprise visits to SCBMCH twice recently and expressed his displeasure over absence of doctors in the outpatient department (OPD) and casualty as well. The minister had even show-caused the SCB superintendent in this regard.
Sources said the authorities who also inspected the other two state-run medical colleges found massive absenteeism among the doctors, adding, neither of the hospitals used the biometric attendance system. According to SCB administrative officer Pratap Mishra, MCI has been providing biometric fingerprint devices in phases. “We will install the machines once we get them,” Mishra said.
Earlier, the state government had constituted a special squad to check private practice by doctors, but to no avail. “No disciplinary action or system can be fruitful unless those doctors have self-realisation,” SCB superintendent Shyama Kanungo told Orissa Post.
When asked, Health minister Pratap Jena said he would comment only after analysing the MCI guidelines.
Post News Network
