Geo-fencing attendance app faces resistance from health employees

Despite clear instructions from the state health headquarters, the geo-fencing-based attendance app mandated for health staff in Haryana has met significant resistance across government hospitals and health centres.

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The app, developed to enhance discipline, attendance tracking and real-time monitoring, uses GPS and facial recognition to mark attendance. It issues alerts if an employee moves more than 500 metres away from their designated workplace during duty hours.

However, many doctors, NHM employees and field staff working at District Civil Hospitals, Sub-Divisional Hospitals, PHCs, CHCs, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) and other institutions, have raised objections, citing privacy violations and potential data misuse.

A senior doctor said, “Staff are being forced to install an app that can track their movements. We are not against discipline, but this is an invasion of privacy.”

The Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) has formally objected. Memorandums have been submitted to Civil Surgeons across districts, while nursing staff, NHM workers, radiographers and lab attendants have joined the protest.

Dr Sandeep Abrol, district president of HCMSA Karnal, said: “All employees, including doctors, are already marking biometric attendance regularly. We are surprised at the need for this app, which carries risks of data leaks and unnecessary monitoring. We have requested that its implementation be reconsidered.”

The state-level HCMSA has also raised the issue with senior officials, including the DG Health, ACS Health and Health Minister.

Dr Deepak Goyal, HCMSA state treasurer, warned: “This may amount to a breach of the right to privacy. The government should ensure protection of employee data and not impose surveillance in the name of discipline.”

However, officials are pressing ahead. Dr Shashi Garg, Deputy Civil Surgeon, said, “All employees have been instructed to mark attendance via the app. Earlier, it was mandatory only for NHM staff, but now it includes all doctors and health personnel.”

She added that usage data is available with the headquarters and local teams have been instructed to comply.