According to reports the department issued them showcause notices on Saturday. Disciplinary action would be taken against them if they fail to come up with plausible replies.
Maxiumum number of 74 such doctors, belong to Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital, Gaya, 30 are of Patna Medical College and Hospital––two among them are department heads––and 18 of Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital. Eight doctors each from Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital and Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Bhagalpur, have been served notices. Six doctors of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital also figure in the list.
Principal secretary of the labour resources department Vyasji, who holds the additional charge of the health department principal secretary, was quoted in a section of media as saying that the state government is monitoring the attendance of doctors in all the government colleges of the state on a daily basis. After reviewing October’s attendance sheets, it was found that 144 doctors were either absent from duty without taking due leave or reported late to work often. Their salaries have been stopped.
It needs to be recalled that a few months ago, the health department had ordered superintendents of medical colleges to send attendance sheets with the in and out timing of doctors. The action was initiated for better healthcare services in the government medical colleges.
In September, showcause notices were issued to about 300 doctors of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur, and Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) alone. The department is still reviewing their replies.
However, Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA), the body representing the government doctors, has strongly opposed the move of freezing the salaries of doctors.
According to the general secretary of BHSA, Dr Ajay Kumar, government employees in all the departments, including those in the secretariat, take their work very casually and seldom report to work on time. He said the Association is not defending the wrongdoers, but singling out the doctors is unfair. They work in extremely unfavourable conditions and have long duty hours.
He said while the central government doctors have to work 42 hours a week, in Bihar there are many who are made to work 72-84 hours. In that case, if they report late to work, they should not be punished.
Dr Kumar suggested that ban on private practice by introducing reasonable non-practising allowance, recruitment of more doctors in the government service and stipulated working hours were the only ways to ensure timely reporting by doctors.

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