Biometric attendance mandatory at all hospitals

The government issues six special directives for all public healthcare institutions, making weekly cleanliness drives, stricter monitoring and mandatory biometric attendance key priorities as it completes 180 days in office.

Instructing all healthcare institutions to ensure biometric attendance systems are fully operational by August 17, the date marking the government’s 180-day milestone, The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issues the order on Saturday.

The directives are aimed at improving hospital cleanliness and ensuring regular attendance of doctors and employees through stronger accountability and supervision.

Under the new instructions, heads of healthcare institutions are made responsible for maintaining cleanliness and ensuring hospitals remain well-maintained at all times. Higher authorities are tasked with regularly monitoring cleanliness standards at facilities under their jurisdiction.

The order also requires directors of medical college and specialised hospitals to organise cleanliness drives every Saturday.

Divisional Directors (Health) are instructed to inspect district hospitals according to a scheduled timetable and submit detailed inspection reports to the Ministry of Health after each visit.

Civil surgeons are similarly directed to inspect Upazila Health Complexes every Saturday under the prescribed schedule and report their findings to the same authorities.

The DGHS order further states that all healthcare institutions must ensure biometric attendance machines are fully functional and regular biometric attendance is enforced by August 17.

It warns that heads of institutions will be held accountable for any failure to implement the directives.