Ghanaian health workers to be banned from using phones whiles on duty

Ghana has announced plans to ban doctors and other health workers from using mobile phones while on duty.

The Ghana Health Service said the directive is aimed at improving efficiency at the various health facilities in the West African country.

The head of the Service Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare said the use of mobile phones is taking a lot of time of health workers putting patients at risk.

“The rationale behind the ban is to get the health officers to pay attention to their job when on the field. Some patients and their family members complain bitterly on how some health professionals use their phones when they visit the hospitals. It is not a good sign,” Dr. Asare said.

“We’ll put in place an intercom system through which health officials can communicate. We’ll issue a statement and most of the institutions will have the intercom systems working. In most organizations except in some banks and some corporate institutions, you’ll find most officials of the facilities on their mobile phones.

“In the Western World, in most of the hospitals, networks do not work well to help check some of these irregularities. Intercom systems are used. We’re considering scrambling the network system in the hospitals so health officials cannot use them while at post,” he added.

The Ghana Medical Association and other health related bodies are yet to respond to the new directive which will be rolled out later in the year.