Uniforms must for Delhi govt hospital staff: Govt order

For each instance of not wearing the prescribed uniform, daily uniform allowance will be deducted “without further inquiry”

The Capital’s health & family welfare department has directed all government-run hospitals to enforce mandatory uniform and name badge rules for doctors, nurses, technicians and outsourced workers, warning that violators will face on the spot penalties, according to an order issued on May 16 and officials familiar with the decision.

Uniforms must for Delhi govt hospital staff: Govt order

The latest directive, officials said, is a firm reminder to comply with the mandate adding tighter limits on the uniform code to ensure staff can be instantly identified and patients better protected.

The circular, sent to every medical superintendent (MS), medical director (MD) and head of department (HOD), says the “designated colour-coded attire along with a name-plate clipped on the left side of the chest” is essential “to ensure proper identification of hospital personnel and for proper functioning of hospitals.” Outsourced staff must wear clean uniforms carrying the service provider’s logo, it added.

The health & family welfare department’s order, issued on 16 May and reviewed by HT, instructs medical superintendents, medical directors and heads of department to “strictly enforce the uniform policy” so that genuine personnel can be easily identified and impostors deterred.

“It’s been observed that the doctors, nursing staff, paramedics/technicians, nursing orderlies and other staff … avoid wearing the mandated dress despite drawing uniform allowances,” the order states.

Nodal housekeeping officers and duty doctors in charge of each floor, out-patient department (OPD) and in-patient department (IPD) areas must conduct surprise checks “at intervals not exceeding three hours”. Any non-compliance - by regular, contractual or outsourced staff - will trigger “immediate action”, the directive adds.

For each instance of not wearing the prescribed uniform, a government or contractual employee’s daily uniform allowance will be deducted “without further inquiry”, the order says. Repeated violations may attract a show-cause notice under Rule 16 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, potentially stopping at least one yearly increment. MSs and MDs may penalise officials up to Group ‘C’; recommendations for higher cadres must go to the secretary (health & family welfare).

Officials said the crackdown follows complaints of impostors posing as hospital staff and extorting money from patients’ attendants. The government hopes mandatory uniforms and badges will deter such incidents, they added.

Staff have also been told to refrain from personal mobile-phone use during duty hours and to keep phones “only for official duties while on shift.” Violations will invite the same penalty provisions.