Use of mobile phones banned in govt hospitals: NA told

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Dr Nousheen Hamid Wednesday told the National Assembly that the federal government hospitals had imposed ban on doctors and staff from using mobile phones during their duty hours. Speaking during the Question Hour in response to a question of MNA Moulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, she said use of mobile phone while on duty was only allowed for emergency calls. The cases of emergencies like road accidents, bomb blasts, earthquake and firing were being communicated to the staff through mobile phones for quick response leading to timely treatment of victims and affected patients. The parliamentary secretary assured the house that Federal General Hospital, Islamabad would be asked to provide more wheelchairs to patients coming to its emergency department. She said in future the hospitals would use better wheel chairs. She said National Health Institute would start providing rabies vaccines to the provinces from this year. Children were dying in Thar and people were dying because of dog bites in different places of Sindh. She told that no payment was taken in advance from any patient coming to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad for cardiac surgeries and implanting of stents. Expenditure of cardiac surgeries and stents were not received in advance. The day patient underwent procedure a proper bill was handed over to the relatives who then pay the bills. The government employees then apply for reimbursement of the bills to their respective department. The bills were duly verified by the hospital. She said poor people were getting free medical treatment in the government hospitals. To a question, the parliamentary secretary told that the previous Pakistan Medical Dental Council had failed to meet the regulatory requirements according to international standards therefore it was replaced with a commission. She said the employees of PMDC who lost their jobs in the transition would be given a chance to get re-hired and financial benefits to them would also be paid for their previous employment in PMDC.