Doctors, health workers to face salary cut for unauthorised absence

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has ordered 100 percent attendance of officials and employees at all government health facilities and hospitals across the country. If any doctor or health worker remains absent from work, their salary bill will not be cleared until the matter of absence is resolved.

Additionally, the DGHS has directed the phased introduction of biometric face recognition technology to ensure attendance of doctors and health workers. The directive was issued in a notification on Thursday, August 20.

The notification stated that the decisions were taken at a meeting held at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on August 16 to review the progress of directives given by the Prime Minister during her visit to the health sector.

The order, signed by DGHS Director (Administration) Professor Dr Jalal Uddin Mohammad Rumi, stated that biometric machines installed at all health facilities and hospitals under the DGHS must remain operational.

Along with ensuring regular biometric attendance of officials and employees, biometric face recognition technology must be introduced in phases. The directive placed special emphasis on ensuring 100 percent attendance of doctors and health workers at their workplaces. It instructed that salary bills of doctors and health workers should only be cleared after the concerned health facility's accounts officer confirms their attendance.

If a doctor or health worker remains absent, their salary bill will not be paid until the matter of absence is settled. Additionally, all health facilities and hospitals under the DGHS have been asked to submit weekly e-attendance reports to the DGHS Director (Administration).