Dispensary staff across the Capital will have to shape up and report to work on time with the Directorate of Health Service (DHS) all set to bring in biometric machines in 98 medical dispensaries.
This means good news for the public as there have been several complaints about harassment due to lack of punctuality among the dispensary staff, non-availability of medicines and shoddy sanitation.
Speaking about the move, Directorate of Health Services Director Dr. N. V. Kamat said: “We have already introduced biometrics in our office and are now working on covering the dispensaries. We have been getting complaints about the slack attitude of the dispensary staff, patients facing problems due to delay in treatment etc. This is not acceptable.”
“Instructions have also been issued to ensure that four dispensaries are inspected over a fixed period of time (a week) on a rotation basis to enable chief medical officers to help dispensaries maintain high standards. The key areas that we are looking at are high level of sanitation, punctuality and steady availability of medicines,” added Dr. Kamat.
The biometric system, however, does not apply to employees under contract. They will continue to follow the attendance ‘sign-in’ method.
Former Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti had earlier ordered installation of the biometric system. However, the process could not be completed with the then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resigning.
The Directorate of Health Services had after that issued orders to observe May 12-24 as ‘Punctuality and Cleanliness fortnight’ wherein senior health officers were instructed to follow guidelines to ensure best care to patients.
Senior health officials also maintained that during inspection of dispensaries in the city it was recently found that several doctors were absent anywhere between 25-40 per cent of their work days.
