Biometric attendance system: Tenkasi govt hospitals worst in TN

TENKASI: Tenkasi has fared the worst among Tamil Nadu districts with regard to the implementation of the biometric attendance system at government hospitals (GHs). This was revealed in the recently-released Biometric Attendance Report circulated by the Directorate of Medical and Rural Services (DMS).

While Krishnagiri district topped the list with as much as 76.1% of staff in its GHs adhering to the biometric system, only 13.6% of staff (54 out of total 397 staff members) in Tenkasi GHs followed this practice. Apart from Tenkasi, all other districts in the State recorded over 38% adherence to the system. The district has GHs in Tenkasi, Kadayanallur, Sankarankovil,  Shengottai, Sivagiri, Puliyangudi, Alangulam, Ayikudi and Veerakeralampudur.

"Despite strict instructions from the Health and Family Welfare Department, the GH staff, particularly doctors, are not using the attendance-marking procedure. Instead, they sign their attendance manually in the register. Thus they could even mark themselves present for hours they kept away from duty. Just two weeks ago, Minister Ma Subramanian had suspended the head of the cardiology department at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for forging the attendance in the register," said an official of DMS, who shared the Biometric Attendance Report with TNIE.

Amid accusations that many government doctors in Tenkasi district were taking up private practice even during hospital duty hours, the then Joint Director (Health) Selvaraj issued a circular on June 2 instructing all staff at GHs to be present at the hospital by 7.30 am daily and reside within an 8-km radius of the hospital. "The private practice crisis was actually reined in by Selvaraj. But he was transferred from the district, and within just a month the menace has resumed in full swing. Even the present Joint Director (in-charge), Krishnan, is working at his private clinic in Melagaram. Strict measures are needed to ensure that all doctors report to duty on time," said a doctor requesting anonymity. Several attempts by TNIE to contact Krishnan went in vain.

DMS Director Dr Shamsath Begum has noted that she is reviewing the functioning of Tenkasi GHs and had instructed the Joint Directors to ensure strict compliance with the biometric attendance system. "I was informed that there was a network issue in the biometric system in Tenkasi GHs," she told TNIE.
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Biometric attendance system compliance

Top 10 districts                  Percentage

Krishnagiri -                     76.1
Nilgiris -                           74.4
Vellore -                            72.2
Tirupathur -                       69.9
Namakkal -                       69.1
Karur -                              68.5
Kancheepuram -               68.3
Nagapattinam -                 63.0
Chennai -                          62.9
Thiruvallur -                     62.7


Last 10 districts                  Percentage

Salem -                               48.8
Perambalur -                      48.3
Ranipet -                            48.0
Ariyalur -                           47.6
Coimbatore -                      46.4
Chengalpattu -                   46.2
Erode -                               44.1
Dharmapuri -                     42.9
Tiruvannamalai-                38.2
Tenkasi -                            13.6