e-surveillance to health dept rescue

THE HEALTH Department has planned to resolve the mystery of missing government doctors through e-surveillance. The computer software and Internet will keep track of all 9,000 doctors who had joined the Provincial Medical Health Services (PMHS).

Along with personal data of each doctor, their qualification, place of posting, annual confidential report, leave availed and training programme attended by them will be fed into the computer. At the click of a mouse, the Health Department officials will get all information about doctors posted at the remotest of health centers.

Hundreds of government doctors were reported missing after they joined PMHS. These doctors had joined PMHS, but Health Department has no information about their whereabouts. Several doctors have died but in the Health Department records, they remain on duty and even continue to draw salary.

Recently, the Health Department had transferred Chief Medical Officers (CMO) in all 70 districts. The department officials were embarrassed when the name of the doctors who are dead or retired from service figured in the transfer list. The State Government took action against the officers who had prepared the transfer list.

Fearing the same mistake may be repeated, the Health Department is yet to release the transfer list of the Chief Medical Superintendents. Now e-surveillance has come to the rescue of the Health Department mandarins. With its assistance, officials can identify erring doctors and take action against them.

Talking to the ‘Hindustan Times’ UP Health System Development Project (UPHSDP) director Shailesh Krishna said the details of each doctor would be fed into the personal information system (PIS) prepared by it.

“All data of government doctors posted in the 70 districts will be fed in the PIS.

We are preparing a website with the assistance of NIC. The data of the doctors will be available on the website. After feeding the details of the doctors, Health Department will invite corrections.