Chandigarh, June 9 -- Haryana government's move to implement geo-fenced-based attendance management system for health department officials and staff has been disapproved by the employees.The geo-fenced attendance system works through a mobile application designed to capture the presence of healthcare professionals at their places of posting. A May 30 communication by additional chief secretary, health to Director General of Health Services (DGHS), mission director, National Health Mission (NHM) and chief executive of Ayushman Bharat Haryana Health Protection Authority said that disbursal of salary of health officials shall be strictly based on data of geo-fenced based attendance management system. In a representation to the DGHS, the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA), an umbrella organisation of government doctors in the state, said the issue of geo-fencing-based attendance management system was discussed in its executive body meeting on June 1. "There was a unanimous disapproval of proposed system. The system mandates installation of a mobile application on personal devices to track doctor's location. This constituted a breach of privacy, which is a fundamental right as upheld by the Supreme Court in its August 24, 2017, judgement in justice KS Puttaswamy versus Union of India case. Tracking a doctor's location is unwarranted, leading to an environment of constant surveillance,'' said the representation signed by HCMSA general secretary Dr Anil Yadav. The HCMSA said that the doctors have expressed concerns regarding the potential cybersecurity threats associated with the mobile application such as unauthorised access to sensitive personal data stored on mobile devices. The requirement to share personal data and install such apps creates vulnerabilities that compromise individual and organisational security, the association said. "In light of these concerns, it was unanimously decided that HCMS doctors will not share their personal data or install the geo-fencing app on their personal mobile phones. Our concerns will be brought to the notice of higher authorities,'' the representation said. The Nursing Welfare Association, the Multipurpose Health Workers Association and Association of Government Pharmacists in Haryana, in separate representations to DGHS, have also conveyed unanimous disapproval of the geo-fencing-based attendance management system....