Absent during Duty Hours: TN Health Minister orders action against PHC staff

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Speaking to TNIE, patients said the UPHC doctors have been arriving for duty late and leaving early regularly. "I am a daily wager involved in farm work. As these doctors are coming late, I have to take leave whenever I come to UPHC for treatment," said a patient.

According to a press release from the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, the duty doctor and a few other staff, including nurses, were absent at the PHC.

It has emerged that medicines that were stocked inside the mobile clinic were not properly placed inside the box. When he inquired with the nurse there, the driver of the vehicle did not come to work and the medicines in the vehicle were not secured.

Hence, the Deputy Director (Health Services) has been directed to conduct an inquiry and submit a report on the action taken against the staff members, the release said.

He also instructed the Director of Public Health and Disease Prevention to put up notice boards of stock of drugs in all government primary health centres so that the public can know and use the stock of dog and snakebite medicines as needed.

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