Chandigarh: Haryana has announced a new dress code for doctors, nurses and paramedics in its government hospitals. The idea is to bring in uniformity and also make it easier for patients to identify staff.
According to the policy announced this Thursday, jeans, denim skirts, dresses or palazzos are banned for doctors, nurses and paramedical staff on duty at government hospitals. So are T-shirts, stretch pants, leather pants, capris, hip-huggers, sweatpants, tank tops, strapless or backless tops, crop tops, midriff-revealing tops, and off-shoulder blouses.
In case of footwear, sneakers or slippers are also not permitted. ThePrint has a copy of the dress code policy as well as the ‘Designation wise approved dress code’ document.
Male doctors have also been told that their hair cannot grow below the collar length while female doctors can’t wear make-up or heavy jewellery on duty. The dress code also bars women doctors from growing their nails long.
Issued February 9, the policy has already been communicated to all government hospitals across the state. It states that defaulters will be considered absent from duty and liable for strict action.
The civil surgeons have been directed to enforce the dress code strictly in their respective districts.
’24*7, 7 days a week’
Haryana Health minister Anil Vij justified the new dress code Friday. “…go to any government hospital in Haryana, it becomes difficult to distinguish between doctors and patients. This is why the dress code shall be implemented for staff members,” Vij said in a press release issued by the State Public Relations Department. ThePrint has a copy of the note.
According to the note, the minister said that the dress code is applicable 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week including evenings and night shifts. Every employee is expected to wear neat, clean dress and practise good hygiene, it said.
The policy has also made it mandatory for the security staff, vehicle drivers, sanitation, and kitchen staff to wear uniforms.
The hospital staff has been asked to wear name-tags. The state health department has authorised civil surgeons to take a decision on colour-coordinated uniforms. Vij added that the uniforms of hospital staff would be designed by designers.
Speaking to ThePrint, Dr Rajesh Khyalia, president of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA), said the dress code policy is a good initiative and will provide doctors a distinct identity while on duty, but there was no need to go into details of how to get one’s hair cut or how deep to trim one’s nails.
“Our members are sensible and they go to their duty in sober attire. So there was hardly any need to go into so much detail. However, uniform dress code is a welcome move,” Khyalia said.
Officials of the state health department also agreed that the new policy will bring uniformity among hospital staff. “Women employees were wearing embroidered suits, slacks, short tops etc, while male staff wore jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers on duty,” said an official to ThePrint, adding, “It will help patients identify hospital staff, doctors and nursing staff.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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