Hyderabad: Phone use in hospitals, a big nuisance all over

Hyderabad: The video of a nurse in Niloufer Hospital using a smartphone has gone viral where she fails to guide the relatives to the emergency section. The nurse is in the cabin of the ward and using her phone during duty hours.

Government hospitals are facing the problem of misuse of smartphones not only by the staff but also by the relatives of patients.

Oral warnings have been issued by HoDs to the staff yet the nuisance continues. A senior doctor of Telangana Government Doctors Association explained: “The use of phone in most of these cases by the staff is not for an emergency at home. Most of the time, staff is found to engage in conversations not required during duty hours.”

HoDs exhort nurses, paramedical staff, junior and senior doctors not to use their phones. Those who do not heed to the advice have their phones confiscated for the day. This deterrent is found to work for a few days. But some of them are hiding in empty cabins and continue with their habit complained senior doctors in government hospitals. One such act of a nurse was filmed and went viral. Another senior doctor at Nilofeur Hospital said, “These days relatives are using smartphones to point out the nuisance factor. But they are also using it to blackmail the hospital. They are also recording videos in emergency rooms and that is not right. Government hospitals must have a strict rule like the private sector that no phones will be allowed in emergency and during consultation."

Private hospitals have asked doctors to be careful during consultations as a senior doctor had to quit a corporate hospital as his advice was inappropriate. The doctor had tried to explain to the patient what was good for him but in turn maligned government schemes. The advice was taken as a negative attempt to convince the patient and the doctor was asked to leave. This incident occurred a year ago but has put many on alert.

Government doctors are also asking for similar rules as it will help them curb the nuisance from ‘activist relatives.’