Patna, Nov. 6: The state health department has decided to freeze the salary of 144 doctors of six government medical colleges for absence from duty without prior information or reporting late for work in October.

The department issued them showcause notices on Saturday. Disciplinary action would be taken against them if they fail to come up with plausible replies.

Principal secretary of the labour resources department Vyasji, who holds the additional charge of the health department principal secretary, told The Telegraph: “We are monitoring the attendance of doctors in all the government colleges of the state on a daily basis. After reviewing October’s attendance sheets, we found 144 doctors were either absent from duty without taking due leave or reported late to work often. Their salaries have been stopped.”

He said: “The errant doctors have been served showcause notices. Departmental proceedings will be initiated against them if they fail to give satisfactory reply within the next seven days.”

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.

Comparing the statistics of the past two months, the department sources said there had been a slight improvement in attendance in October.

Of the 144 doctors pulled up in October for playing truant in duty hours, 30 are of PMCH. Two among them are department heads.

Seventy-four doctors of Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital, Gaya, and 18 of SKMCH figure in the list of errant medics.

Eight doctors each from DMCH 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.

Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) — the body representing the government doctors — has strongly opposed the move of freezing the salaries of doctors.

“Government employees in all the departments, including those in the secretariat, take their work very casually and seldom report to work on time. We are not defending the wrongdoers, but singling out the doctors is unfair. They work in extremely unfavourable conditions and have long duty hours,” said Dr Ajay Kumar, the general secretary of BHSA.

He said 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.

“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,” Kumar said.

Some patients hailed the move of the state government, though. “Doctors take patience test of patients. They never turn up on time. They deserve strict action,” a patient waiting for a doctor at PMCH said.