Shopian- In a shocking oversight, Shopian district authorities have included a deceased paramedic, a doctor who had been transferred two years prior, and another terminated doctor, in a list of employees marked absent during a surprise inspection at the district hospital.
Healthcare workers from District Hospital Shopian Thursday staged a protest over the absentee list that they claim falsely marked numerous active staff members as absent. The protest followed a surprise inspection by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) on Wednesday, which revealed that only 17 out of the hospital’s 198 employees were present, with 181 marked absent.
The protesting staff members argued that the absentee list included names of doctors, paramedics, and other personnel who were, in fact, present and on duty during the day. “The list contains the names of those who had passed away, those transferred, and medical professionals no longer employed at the hospital,” the protesting staff claimed.
“If only 10% of the staff were present, how would the hospital function smoothly? At 10:00 a.m., there’s a shift rotation. Some doctors come in, others have night shifts, and the paramedical staff also has a different rotation schedule,” a doctor, working at the hospital, said.
“If the inspection was meant to be fair, they should’ve checked sections at 11 a.m. If we weren’t working, we’d take responsibility. But presenting this situation like this is an insult,” he added.
During the protest, the medical staff demanded an official apology from the Deputy Commissioner (DC) for the harm and humiliation caused by the erroneous data.
“The list is not only inaccurate, but it also insults those of us who are committed to serving our patients,” said one of the protesting doctors. “We work with honesty and integrity, and to be publicly marked as absent when we are working day and night is an affront.”
The protestors also highlighted the damaging impact the list had on public perception and the fragile trust between healthcare providers and the community. “Our families are being insulted and questioned because of this mistake. The DC’s office must take responsibility for this error and issue an apology,” another protestor added.
According to the staff, the list inaccurately included the names of individuals who had passed away, such as Dr. Shahid, a paramedic who died recently, and Dr. Bilal, a doctor who had been terminated. The protestors expressed concern over the fact that the list was shared publicly without verification, accusing the authorities of neglecting proper data filtering before releasing such sensitive information.
“They should have conducted a proper inspection and ensured that the staff’s attendance was accurately recorded,” one doctor stated. “Instead, we were publicly humiliated, which only creates further mistrust.”
The protestors also pointed out the lack of accountability for the flawed list, emphasizing that the DC and other administrative offices should have ensured better management and verification of the data before posting it. They called for an apology not only for the administrative mistakes but also for the emotional distress it caused to the healthcare workers and their families.
“We are ready to work under any conditions, but we cannot tolerate this kind of disrespect,” said a paramedic during the protest. “We demand a public apology from the DC, and we want to ensure that this does not happen again.”
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shopian, Mohammad Shahid Saleem Dar said that the inspection was part of a broader effort to ensure discipline and accountability in government institutions.
“We received complaints about negligence from staff in various departments, which is why the ADC visited the District Hospital for a surprise check,” the DC said.
He added that both biometric attendance and hard copy registers were thoroughly reviewed. “We are in the process of verifying all data. If there is a technical issue, we will look into it,” the DC said.
“The MS (Medical Superintendent) has been instructed to provide an explanation within two days regarding the discrepancies noted.” The DC further emphasized that this inspection was not limited to the District Hospital. “We will conduct surprise inspections across all institutions, not just in the mornings but throughout the day, to ensure accountability,” he added. He expressed support for employees who work diligently. “We stand with those who are honest and dedicated in their work. Our priority is to ensure that the system functions properly, and that everyone is accountable for their responsibilities,” he said
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