A major question has been raised over the functioning of Chief Minister Sanjeevani Clinics in Bhopal after shocking irregularities were found in doctors’ attendance records. An investigation revealed that several doctors posted at these clinics marked fake attendance by misusing the Sarthak mobile application, triggering alarm within the health department.
The fraud came to light during a routine review of attendance data by the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) office. Following the findings, salary deduction orders were issued against 13 doctors, while 25 doctors in total were served show-cause notices for suspicious attendance patterns.
A detailed scrutiny of Sarthak app data exposed startling facts. In one of the most serious cases, a doctor posted at the Gautam Nagar Chief Minister Sanjeevani Clinic was found marking attendance from nearly 500 kilometres away. Even on regular days, the doctor’s attendance location was consistently recorded 11–12 kilometres away from the clinic, indicating that he was often absent despite being shown as present on duty.
Another case emerged from the Bag Mugalia Sanjeevani Clinic, where multiple photographs uploaded through a single doctor’s ID showed different individuals. This suggested that attendance was being marked by proxy, with others clicking photographs in place of the concerned doctor.
Speaking to India Today, Bhopal CMHO Manish Sharma said the Sanjeevani Clinics were launched to provide accessible healthcare to the poor and needy in their own localities. He stressed that absenteeism by doctors directly harms patients and will not be tolerated. The CMHO added that monitoring of the Sarthak app will be tightened further and a zero-tolerance policy will be enforced against any form of malpractice.
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