Bhubaneswar: The craze of making and sharing videos on popular app TikTok has landed a few nurses of a government hospital in Odisha’s Malkangiri district in trouble.

Health department officials have ordered a probe after they came across at least three video clips in which the young nurses are seen enjoying themselves while on duty in the hospital of the backward district in southern Odisha.

The nurses, in their uniform and some make-up, are seen dancing and lip-syncing to the tunes of some popular Hindi and Punjabi songs and funny dialogues. One of these videos is said to have been made in the sick and newborn care unit (SNCU) of the hospital. In the video, a nurse is seen picking up a newborn baby as a Hindi song plays in the background.

“This has happened for the very first time here. We are shocked to see these videos, which seem to have been made inside the hospital during work hours. A probe has been ordered and the nurses seen in the videos have been issued show-cause notices,” said Sapan Kumar Dinda, the officer-in-charge of the hospital and additional district medical officer (ADMO).

Sources said Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Ajit Ku Mohanty has recommended suspension of the nurses who had been appointed on a contractual basis.

“Cell phones, which pose radiation hazards, should not be taken inside the SNCU as very delicate newborns are admitted there. This is a serious violation of work ethics and rules. Strict action should be taken against all those responsible,” said Madhusudan Mishra, former president of Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA).

The viral videos have sparked outrage among locals, as well. Debashish Sahu, a resident of Malkangiri town, said it was “totally wrong” on the part of the nurses to do anything else their duty hours when they are supposed to look after patients.

“Thousands of poor people look up to doctors and nurses at this big government hospital for relief. Such videos disappoint common people,” said Sahu.

(With inputs from Mahendra Panigrahi)