This story is from July 13, 2017

Mobile attendance app to keep track of doctors

The district health authorities have introduced a real time tamper-proof biometric attendance mobile app for doctors and para-medical staff that would display their exact location along with photograph.
Mobile attendance app to keep track of doctors
ALLAHABAD: The district health authorities have introduced a real time tamper-proof biometric attendance mobile app for doctors and para-medical staff that would display their exact location along with photograph. The app would replace the faulty biometric attendance system.
As soon as a doctor or medical staff logs on to the app, it would instantly send their photograph and location along with longitude and latitude to the chief medical officer (CMO) on his mobile.

Chief medical officer, Allahabad, Dr. Alok Verma, said, "The department has asked all 242 doctors posted at 20 CHCs and 60 new PHCs in the district to register their attendance through the mobile app which would send their location along with an instant photo."
He said that registering attendance through mobile app has been made compulsory for doctors and para-medical staff. "If they fail to log on to the app, their salaries would be detected or they could even be marked as absent," he added. Dr Verma said, "With the mobile app, we would be able to check the location of doctors especially in medical centers in trans -Ganga and Yamuna areas."
"It took around one year to develop the app and we are now able to get the exact time of a staff checking in at PHCs and CHCs. Apart from government doctors, AYUSH doctors (contractual staff) have also been asked to register their attendance through the app," he added.
There have been at least three instances in which biometric machines, meant to register attendance of doctors and para medical staff, were allegedly tampered. Besides, the biometric machines were also developing technical snag due to various reasons and needed funds for maintenance, said health department officials.
Preferring anonymity, a senior doctor posted at a CHC said, "Though we are registering attendance through the app, officials must have faith in their staff and not rely on such methods."
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About the Author
Kapil Dixit

Kapil Dixit is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communications. He has covered crime at regional as well as state level. His hobbies include reading, writing and meeting people with diverse interests.

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