Punjab bars hospital staff from using mobile phones

F.P. Report

LAHORE: The Punjab government has banned the use of mobile phones by hospital staff below BPS-18 grade during duty hours across all public sector hospitals in the province, introducing a pager system for emergency communication instead.

The decision, announced through two circulars issued on July 7, by the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department, aims to improve emergency response efficiency and enhance patient care in government medical facilities.

The first circular mandates the installation of pager systems in all healthcare institutions to ensure fast and reliable communication during critical situations. It emphasises that pagers help deliver urgent alerts—such as Code Blue and Code Red—promptly, enabling timely responses. All hospitals under the department’s jurisdiction are required to comply strictly.

The second circular bans mobile phone usage during duty hours for hospital staff below BPS-18, especially in emergency wards, ICUs, NICUs, and operation theatres.
However, senior officials including Medical Superintendents, Additional and Deputy Medical Superintendents, Senior Registrars, and Directors are exempted from this ban.

The directive cites that excessive and unnecessary mobile phone use has been interfering with patient care and hospital operations.

Medical Superintendents and department heads are responsible for enforcing this ban, monitoring staff compliance, and submitting reports within three days.

Additionally, the circulars underline the importance of maintaining a strong and responsive emergency care system and require strict adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), particularly for nursing students during procedures like IV injections.

These directives have been distributed to all public sector medical universities, colleges, specialized institutes, and teaching hospitals across Punjab. Copies have also been sent to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, the Secretary of Health, and other relevant department heads.