Health workers upset with biometric attendance

By Rithu Dravid | NT

Bengaluru: The health department’s decision to make AadhaarEnabled Biometric Attendance System mandatory has not gone down well with doctors and medical staff in government hospitals and medical colleges.

Many doctors News Trail spoke to expressed unhappiness over the decision and felt the government should not ‘suffocate’ them with such measures.

Karnataka Health and Medical Education Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar on Thursday announced the implementation of the new attendance system at all hospitals and offices under the state health department. “I have received several complaints from elected representatives and members of the public about the absence of doctors and other staff during the office working hours. Biometric attendance system will put an end to such practices,” he said. “We are committed to our work. Such regulations distract our concentration level and we feel like being taunted. We feel suffocated,” said Dr Chitra, who works with the Orthopedics department at the Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics in Bengaluru.

According to the minister, the need to make the (AEBS) mandatory will bring discipline and have a positive impact on delivery of public health care services. The system of the attendance will be linked to the Aadhaar card of the doctors, officers and staff. In case of irregularities the salaries will be cut. A professor and doctor at the Government Victoria Hospital said on condition of anonymity that medical practitioners do not want to be monitored every time. “The government knows how much effort we have put in during the pandemic. There is no need to put us under this now,” he said.

Not new
Biometric attendance systems are not new to the hospitals. For example, the system was installed at the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital and College six year ago. “We have sufficient biometric machines in place in the college and it’s very accessible. It is an authenticated system and any new changes will be welcomed and implemented,” said Dr H.M.Srikanth, Orthopedic Surgeon and Dean at the hospital.

Minister Sudhakar said biometric attendance, which had been in practice prior to the pandemic, was just re-introduced. “This has been conveyed through several meetings and circulars.

However, some staffers and officers still haven’t been registering biometric attendance. Now, an order has been issued. If anyone fails to register biometric attendance, they will be marked absent and their pay will be cut,” he said.

The DDOs (salary drawing officer) have been directed to check all AEBS under their jurisdiction and submit a report on providing salaries to the concerned district health officer (DHO). They will examine the report and provide directions about releasing and withholding salaries.

“The doctors, officers and staff have been instructed to register their attendance thrice a day. Separate times have been set for hospitals and offices,” Sudhakar said.

Timetable for attendance

1. Administration offices: 10 am, 1 pm and 5.30 pm
2. Hospitals: 9 am, 1 pm and 4.30 pm
3. Those working in shifts at hospitals
a. First shift: 8 am, 11 am and 2 pm
b. Second shift: 2 pm, 5 pm and 8 pm
c. First shift: 8 pm, 12 am and 8 am (next day)