The Bihar governm­ent has cracked the whip on errant medical officers (MO) in the habit of dodging duty. They will now be required to examine 40 patients daily or lose a day’s salary.

The directive issued by the Patna Civil Surgeon (CS) to 300 MOs in the 36 state-run health units in the district stated that all MOs posted here should inform the CS office by 2 pm daily about the number of patients they examined.

“Those who fail to attend their quota of patients will be denied that particular day’s salary,” said civil surgeon Lakhindra Prasad, adding that the move was aimed at tightening the screw on “habitual absconders. In fact, this is not my directive. It’s the order of the state health society, which I am enforcing to ensure presence of medical officers at different health units.”

He, however, junked speculation that the MOs will struggle to meet the figures in case less patients visit the health facilities on a particular day. “This is not possible as the health centres these days are overcrowded. There are plenty of patients, with very less doctors to attend them,” Prasad said.

The fresh directive also ma­kes it mandatory for the doctors to furnish their reside­nce proofs to the treasury, failing which they will be denied salary. The new diktat comes close on the heels of the Bihar government framing charges against 59 senior MOs. They were issued show cause notices for failing to apprise the health department of their personal, educational and service details.

Bihar State Health Service Association   spokesman Ranjit Kumar said: “The association will not object to action against truant doct­ors, but will not be mute spectator if innocent MOs were framed.”