Kolkata, Oct. 26 -- Following numerous instances of fake attendance being recorded at government medical colleges and hospitals, Health minister Sharadwata Mukherjee warned intern doctors against involvement in any "proxy duty syndicate", which the minister alleged has been rampant in Bengal for the past few years.
The Health minister has announced that biometric attendance will be made mandatory to put an end to such proxy duties. Expressing strong displeasure, the minister said he had also received reports that not only interns but some senior residents and house staff members were also involved in selling their duty shifts. He further claimed that the practice included individual doctors from private medical colleges coming to perform duties at other government institutions. There were also reports of people taking up such assignments for higher payments during Durga Puja festivities.
Mukherjee further alleged that people associated with dental sciences were being hired to perform duties at Midnapore Medical College. He has additionally raised allegations that individuals involved in Ayurvedic medical education were being assigned the duties of MBBS interns at various medical colleges.
"They are being given an opportunity to mend their ways. If such incidents come to light in the future, action will be taken," Mukherjee warned. It was alleged that a special WhatsApp group has reportedly been created among interns to facilitate the exchange of duties.
In one message, a junior doctor wrote that anyone willing to cover Saturday and Sunday duties would be paid well. Another offered to hand over two hours of duty every day to someone else.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.