Haryana: Doctors, health officials stage statewide protests

Doctors and other officials/employees of the state Health Department observed a pen-down strike from 10 to 11 am and staged a protest at government health facilities across the state against the imposition of the location-based Geofencing Attendance Management System on Monday, even as patients had to face inconvenience.

The call for the protest was given by the Haryana Health Department Employees Coordination Committee.

In a letter to the ACS (Health), Secretary-cum-Mission Director, National Health Mission, and Director General (Health Services) of Haryana, the committee has urged the withdrawal of the decision to implement the attendance system, maintaining that it was a violation of their privacy and personal liberty.

"The statewide strike was a success. We hope that the government will withdraw the dictatorial decision. If not, we will chalk out a strategy to intensify the agitation as per the decision of the coordination committee," said Sharmila, state president of the Multi-Purpose Health Employees Association.

Pointing out that biometric and signature-based attendance systems were already in place, Dr Vishvjeet Rathee, president of the Rohtak unit of the HCMS Association, questioned the logic behind implementing the location-based system.

He said they were being made to download a mobile application to track their location, which was unacceptable.

Hisar: Health professionals from both urban and rural health facilities raised slogans and submitted a memorandum to the Civil Surgeon, Dr Sapna Gehlawat. "If the order is not withdrawn, a meeting of the committee will be held on August 10 to announce further agitation," said the protesting staffers, claiming that all categories of staff, including regular, contractual and outsourced personnel, participated in the protest.

Panipat: The HCMS doctors and Health Department employees struck work for an hour and organised gate meetings at the Civil Surgeon's office.

The doctors and health employees stopped OPD services for an hour, disrupting services at the Civil Hospital and other health facilities. Long queues of patients were witnessed at the Civil Hospital. The protesting health staff submitted a memorandum to the Civil Surgeon, Dr Vijay Malik.

Sonepat: Members of different associations of the Health Department staged a protest at the Civil Surgeon's office for an hour and demanded the withdrawal of the attendance system. Patients had to face problems due to the strike.