Jeans, skirts, makeup, 'funky' hairstyles banned for Haryana govt hospital staff

Chandigarh: Makeup, ”funky hairstyles”, and long nails are out for medical and other staff at Haryana government hospitals, and so are T-shirts, denims and skirts, as the state is going to implement a dress code for healthcare professionals.

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said on Friday the dress code being prepared by the state government is in final stages. The move to ban certain types of dresses drew mixed reactions from the medical fraternity with a doctors’ body in Ambala asserting implementing a dress code would give staff a professional outlook, while a nurses’ association said the government should have taken its opinion too.

Vij said dress code must be adhered to by the on-duty staff 24 hours a day, including on weekends, evenings and night shifts, he said, asserting the erring employees will be marked absent for the day.

He said a hospital requires its employees to follow certain conduct, and a dress code is an essential component which gives the organisation a ”professional touch”. ”Funky hairstyles, heavy jewellery, accessories, makeup, long nails during working hours are unacceptable, especially in the healthcare centres,” said minister Vij, a BJP leader.

He said jeans of any colour, denim skirts and denim dresses are not considered professional dresses and, therefore, will not be permitted. The employees will have to wear a name badge declaring their designation.

”Sweatshirts, sweatsuits, and shorts are not permitted. Slacks, dresses, skirts and palazzos shall not be permitted too. T-shirts, stretch T-shirts, stretch pants, fitting pants, leather pants, capris, sweatpants, tank tops, see-through dresses or tops, crop tops, off-shoulder dresses, sneakers, slippers etc will not be permitted. Similarly, footwear must be black, clean, comfortable and free from funky designs,” the minister added.

A formal order to ban these dresses has not been issued yet.

The purpose of the dress code policy, Vij said, is to maintain discipline, uniformity and equality among the staff in government healthcare centres.

”A well-followed dress code policy in a hospital not only gives an employee his professional image but also presents an elegant image of an organisation among the public,” he said.

All hospital staff working in clinical roles (medics and paramedics), cleanliness and sanitation, security, transport, technical, kitchen, field and other departments should be in a proper uniform during their working hours, the minister said.

Employees looking after non-clinical administrative work in hospitals shall wear only formals, said Vij. ”Every employee is expected to wear neat, clean dress and practice good hygiene.” ”Hair must be clean, well-groomed and neat. Men’s hair should be no longer than collar length and should not interfere with the patient’s care,” he said.

”Unusual hairstyles and unconventional haircuts are not permitted. Nails must be clean, trimmed and well-manicured,” the minister stressed.

Black pants with a white shirt along with a name tag shall be worn by trainees, except for the nursing cadre, he added.

”When you go to a private hospital, not a single employee is seen without a uniform, while in a government hospital, it is difficult to differentiate between a patient and an employee,” he said, adding the dress code will improve the functioning of the hospitals in the state.

The Haryana Civil Medical Services Association, Ambala, on Saturday welcomed the decision, with its state president Rajesh Khayalia saying the dress code will give a professional look to the hospital staff.

A doctor at the civil hospital in Ambala City said on the condition of anonymity that the health department should give at least three pairs of dresses to the staff. There should be separate changing rooms for doctors and paramedical staff in the hospital premises, the doctor said.

He also said the staff should be allowed to change their clothes at the hospital when they arrive and put their own dress back on after the duty hours.

In Hisar, the multipurpose health employees of Haryana also welcomed the announcement.

But the Nursing Welfare Association state president Vineeta said the government should have sought the opinion of the association before implementing the dress code.

She said the dress code should be enforced on administrative officers also.