NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday removed seven doctors and 19 staffers posted at seven mohalla clinics after it was found that they allegedly attempted to manipulate the electronic attendance system.
Addressing a press conference, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said there were complaints about doctors coming in late. “Action has been taken against these doctors and staff members based on the irregularities found in the biometric system. The staffs are supposed to be available from 8 am to 2 pm. We got the attendance records checked ... It was found that the electronic attendance system was being manipulated,” he said.
The Delhi minister said some of the staff would come late but the system “showed” that they had arrived by 8 am. There were irregularities found at seven mohalla clinics -- five in the southwest district, one in the northeast, and one in Shahdara, he said.
He also warned that any kind of negligence regarding the health of the people will not be tolerated. “Any form of negligence will not be tolerated. If such irregularities are found at any Delhi government hospital or Mohalla Clinic in the future, strict action will be taken against them as well,” he said.
Bharadwaj said the irregularities were noticed after discrepancies or oddities were found in images submitted such as change in clothing on the same day or a photo of a photograph being found in scanned images. Asked how such tampering with the system might have happened, he said technological upgrade is needed to keep pace with people who may try to byapss the system, adding, “We keep upgrading our technology.”
Each Mohalla Clinic has one doctor whose responsibility is to examine patients who come to the clinic, conduct their check-ups, and prescribe medicines for diagnosed illnesses. Additionally, there is an assistant at the Mohalla Clinic whose role is to assist the doctor. This includes registering the patients who visit the clinic and collecting blood samples for any necessary tests, among other tasks.