MYSURU/BENGALURU: In a controversial move, the state government is planning to introduce a GPS-tracking system for government doctors who come under the Directorate of Medical Education in the state.
Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said the aim of the initiative is to make the doctors abide by the rules as there is an increase in the number of complaints against government doctors practising privately during duty hours.
The minister was speaking after chairing a two-day divisional-level progress review meeting of the Health and Medical Education Department in Mysuru.
“As we were receiving complaints of doctors being irregular, we decided to implement 100 per cent biometric attendance system making it compulsory for doctors to mark their attendance at three intervals. However, there is a technical glitch. We are now thinking of introducing geo-tagging facility and talks are on to enforce a total ban on private practice by government doctors,” said Dr Sudhakar.
‘Not against docs practising privately’
Sudhakar said, in Mysuru alone, over 10-15 per cent of doctors are found to be irregular and the director has been asked to take action them.“We are not against doctors practising privately, but it should be done only after duty hours. The government doctors must understand the gravity of the situation,” he said.
He also said that if private practice is banned, there is an alternate plan to allow these government doctors to practice at medical colleges after their duty hours.
Reacting to the government’s proposal, Dr Chimanyee Gowda, ex-women’s in-charge at Federation of All India Medical Association said, “all doctors cannot be made to face the consequences of wrongdoing of a few doctors. Though the duty of doctors is to serve the nation, geo-tagging will be an invasion into privacy.”
Gowda further said that the pay scale for government doctors is very less, which drives doctors to shift to private jobs. The government’s plan will further cause a shortage in an already low working force in government setups, she said.
Tejas S, President of Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors (KARD), said, “in Karnataka, government doctors are underpaid, and hence, some doctors work in private clinics after their duty hours. Complete ban on doctors will not be helpful”. He also said that only a few doctors violate the rules.