The Health Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has prohibited the doctors and nurses from using cellphones while on duty across all hospitals in the province in order to enforce disciplinary ethics.
The department has notified a circular to all the public hospitals requiring them to enforce the rule strictly. The KP provincial assembly discussed the excessive use of mobile phones by nurses and doctors while on duty.
A calling attention notice was submitted by Member Provincial Assembly (MPA)Â Nighat Orakzai in this regard. She stated that the use of mobile phones by the on-duty doctors and nurses has become a common practice, which is badly affecting the treatment of patients.
The MPA further argued that the negligence of doctors and nurses is a major reason behind a patient’s deteriorating condition in several cases.
Orakzai also sought a debate on the issue and also requested the government to ban the use of cell phones for doctors and nurses during working hours.
ALSO READ
KP Govt to Combat Dengue with Health Portal
The issue of using cellphones during duty hours is not specific to Pakistan. According to a study, around 60 percent of surgeons use phones even in operating theatres and intensive care units.
The use of phones in such places raises serious questions on the safety of patients and the equipment alike, given the continuous electromagnetic rational (EMR) by the mobile phones.
Experts recommend keeping phones at a safe distance from the medical equipment. Apart from the radiations, phones distract the on-duty doctors and nurses, which results in negligence on their part regarding the patient’s treatment.
It is pertinent to mention here that the KP health department has taken significant measures in the past few years to strengthen the health institutions and improve the healthcare system in the province.
According to its five-year performance report released a few months ago, the KP government had increased its health budget by 200 percent.
The Other Side of the Story
This step was definitely needed and other provinces should follow suit to ensure patient priority in hospitals. However, the government hospitals also need to ensure that doctors and nurses are not cut-off from the rest of the world during their duty hours (which can last up over 12 hours). There needs to be some way that the families and friends of nurses and doctors can contact them in case of an emergency so that they can continue to work with complete peace of mind.
Via: ARY News
It’s strange that even the IT bloggers like you think that mobile phone is only used for leisure activities.
I use phone for quick reference of drug dosages, making calculations, as a stopwatch for taking pulse and many other things. Very poor decision indeed.
May be you are using phone for good cause, but how many users will use it like this? I am software engineer, and I know how much important is cellphone and Internet, but frankly there are lot of crocodiles and dinosaur who are disturbing this environment. You will be supersized in many IT industry, cellphone is not allowed in work place. I don’t think so its bad decision, because I know what is situation of Hospitals especially in KPK. By the way, organization is providing you all facilities for your workplace, so you don’t need to use your personal stuff.
Try practicing medicine in a first-world country like UK or US.
Cellphone usage is allowed but extremely frowned upon. To the point that, if you keep doing it while on the job, it’ll hurt your career in the short and long-term.
As a result most of the staff keep their phones in their lockers. If a family member needs to reach them in emergency they call the hospital and ask for that particular staff members. This is a minor hindrance but overall a very good step by KPK government.