SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 20: Medical officers of Jharkhand posted in Ranchi and other districts today began to boycott biometric attendance at their workplaces across the state in protest against the new diktat.
Medical officers at Ranchi, Chaibasa Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Dumka, Deoghar, and other districts across the state reached their posted place on scheduled time and signed only on attendance register ignoring biometric attendance.
JHSA demands fixed duty hour for doctors
Dr Thakur Mritunjay Kumar Singh, state secretary of Jharkhand Health Services Association (JHSA), the frontal organization of state government medical officers, said that the boycott would continue till the health department fixed the duty hours of doctors.
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Biometric attendance rule executed in 2013
“The biometric attendance was made mandatory for all state government employees in 2013. Doctors too had been following the order but now the health department has made an additional attendance verification portal and attached the biometric attendance with salary payment. This compelled the doctors to protest as such a system is nowhere in the country,” said the JHSA secretary.
At present, the health department has attached the biometric attendance in three districts Palamu, Garhwa and Sahibganj. The JHSA and the IMA fear that the health department will cover other districts under it soon and doctors will be harassed.
JHSA office bearers said duty hours are fixed for all employees, including the secretariat staff. They work 42 hours a week but at the same time, doctors and para-medical staff have to work 69 to 70 hours a week.
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JHSA seeks payment for overtime work
“So, we request the government either fix our duty hours or pay for overtime work. Police and other emergency duty personnel have been exempted from biometric attendance. Since doctors have to perform emergency duty too, they must be exempted,” said Dr Thakur.
On August 11, a joint meeting of the IMA and the JHSA resolved to boycott biometric attendance till the health department withdrew the attachment of salary payment with biometric attendance in three districts.
