The Punjab government has announced a strict policy restricting the use of mobile phones during duty hours in public sector hospitals, aiming to improve patient care and workplace discipline across the province’s healthcare system. The decision was communicated through an official notification issued by the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education, which highlighted growing concerns over the impact of mobile phone usage on clinical efficiency and service delivery. The directive applies with immediate effect and forms part of a broader effort to regulate conduct within hospitals while also introducing technology driven oversight mechanisms.
According to the notification, hospital staff working in grades below BPS 18 are prohibited from using mobile phones while on duty, particularly in patient facing and clinical service areas. These include wards, intensive care units, neonatal intensive care units, and operation theatres. In these sensitive environments, the use of mobile phones for any purpose has been barred, and recording of any kind has also been strictly prohibited. The department stated that the move followed serious observations that mobile phone use was interfering with patient attention, treatment protocols, and overall care standards. Officers performing purely administrative duties have been given limited exemptions, allowing restricted mobile phone use strictly for official work, provided it does not disrupt clinical operations or patient services.
Alongside the mobile phone restrictions, the Punjab government has also ordered expanded surveillance measures to address ongoing concerns related to medicine management and theft in public hospitals. The notification directs that CCTV cameras be installed at pharmacy stores and medicine dispensing counters to ensure better monitoring of drug handling processes. In addition to fixed surveillance systems, pharmacy staff have been instructed to use body worn cameras during key operational activities. These include the receipt of stock, issuance of medicines, and reconciliation procedures, with the intent of increasing transparency and accountability at every stage of pharmaceutical management within hospitals.
The surveillance initiative extends beyond pharmacy personnel, as security guards stationed at pharmacy areas and at both internal and external entry points of hospital premises will also be required to wear body cameras. All footage captured through CCTV systems and body worn devices must be preserved for a minimum period of 30 days. The recordings will be monitored through a central control room that will operate under the supervision of authorised administrative and security officials only. To ensure effective implementation, medical superintendents have been instructed to arrange the necessary surveillance equipment, while chief pharmacists and chief security officers have been tasked with enforcing compliance with the new directives. The measures reflect a growing reliance on digital monitoring tools within Punjab’s public healthcare infrastructure as part of broader governance and oversight reforms.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
