Smartphone, tab allowed for hospitalised Covid patients

The Union Health Ministry has asked all the States and Union Territories to allow hospitalised Covid-19 patients to use smartphones and tablet devices to help them interact with their kin through video-conferencing, which would ease their mental stress.

Though mobile phones are allowed in hospital wards, the missive was issued following some representation from the kin of patients alleging otherwise. States like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal too had initially banned the phones in the hospitals but later on withdrew their order following protests from the families.

Director General of Health Services (DGHS) in the Health Ministry Dr Rajiv Garg in the letter to the principal secretaries of health and medical education of states and Union territories said appropriate protocols for disinfecting devices and allotting time slots can be developed by the hospital concerned to facilitate contact between patients and their family.