Persona non grata: Media personnel banned from hospital premises across city

KTH installs chemical pathology and hormone analyser

PESHAWAR: Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) has imposed a ban on the entry of media personnel on its premises. All hospitals in the city have now been directed to nominate focal persons for media.

An official at KTH, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune on Monday the decision could be a possible outcome of the meeting between media personnel and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan where the former discussed and shared problems they faced during media coverage.

At a board of governors (BoG) meeting held under the chairmanship of KTH Medical Director Professor Dr Nadeem Khawar at the facility, the imposition of the ban was confirmed. “Since Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was also present during the meeting held at KTH, I am sure the decision was conveyed to the information department after which standard operating procedures (SOP) were issued,” the official added.

Controlled access

He also said earlier, KTH administration had circulated the exact same SOPs restricting media personnel at the facility, however, all hospitals in the city have now been directed to nominate focal persons for the media.

In order to facilitate the media, focal persons will share contacts with the media and specify locations from where they can report. “No media person, cameraman, photographer will have direct access to the wards, operation theatres or laboratories for coverage without prior approval from competent authority,” read a statement issued by KTH administration. “In case of natural disasters and blasts, focal persons will update media after every three hours,” it added.

The statement also read all print and electronic media personnel should contact the hospital administration or hospital focal person designated for media affairs during official timings. Satellite vans will be parked in a specific area designated by the hospital administration, it added.  “No media vehicle, camera for coverage will be allowed at hospital emergency wards as they hamper rescue measures,” it read. Similar SOPs were also framed by Lady Reading Hospital (LRH).

Other moot proceedings

A five-year strategic plan and revision of PC-1 of Accident & Emergency Block were also presented at the same meeting. The committee also restored quality assurance and neurology departments – the latter situated in the under-construction casualty block, dysfunctional since 2005-6.

Radiology Assistant Professor Hina Gul and Medicine Professor Dr Wazir Muhammad were also promoted to the position of Associate Professors (BPS-19).

In the lab

For the first time in the public health sector, KTH installed a chemical pathology and hormone analyser [COBAS 6,000 machine] in its pathology department. The equipment will carry out 1,200 investigations of biological samples within an hour.

“The newly installed machine, which has also been installed at Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Peshawar, will perform round-the-clock service at the pathology department in KTH,” read a statement issued by the facility on Monday. “It will provide services for admitted, outpatient and emergency patients.”

According to Khawar, the machine has been connected to all the departments, even out-patient departments (OPD), where it will generate results automatically. “Every single test will automatically reach the relevant department, including OPDs where six counters for men and three counters for women have been set up,” Khawar told The Express Tribune. He added the machine is also connected to its headquarters at Roche Diagnostics, USA.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2016.