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) 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.
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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.
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
