45 doctors issued show-cause notices over low attendance at Jamshedpur Medical College
Doctors
Jamshedpur: Forty-five doctors are among 116 staff members issued show-cause notices at the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMMCH) in Jamshedpur after their biometric attendance was found to be below 50 per cent in March.
The action follows observations by the state health department, which found that out of 290 personnel registered in the biometric attendance system, a significant number failed to meet minimum attendance requirements.
Acting on directions from the Additional Secretary of the state health department, Bidyanand Sharma Pankaj, the hospital administration initiated disciplinary proceedings against the erring staff.
College principal Dr. Sanjay Kumar has directed heads of departments (HoDs) to seek explanations from the concerned doctors and staff.
“All have to submit their reply by Thursday. Further action will be taken based on the replies,” Kumar said, reports TOI.
Among the doctors, 25 recorded zero biometric attendance, while 20 others had attendance below 50%. Similarly, 64 other staff members—including those from nursing, paramedical, technical, and administrative departments—were also found to have low attendance. Of these, 37 had zero attendance and 27 recorded less than 50%.
This is not the first time the institution has faced scrutiny over attendance issues. In January 2024, the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a show-cause notice to the college for doctors’ attendance falling below 75%. Hospital officials also revealed that around a dozen doctors in 2022 and four in 2023 were reprimanded for bypassing the biometric system.
The biometric attendance system was introduced at MGMMCH in 2022 to ensure accountability and regularity among staff. However, repeated violations have raised concerns about compliance and the effectiveness of enforcement measures.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that, in a significant development affecting hospital operations, 23 junior doctors have resigned from the state-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMMCH) in Jamshedpur, allegedly following the implementation of a stricter monitoring system within the hospital.
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