Thursday, February 28, 2013

Plan to link all hospitals and clinics via electronic system

The Star Online


PUTRAJAYA: All public hospitals and clinics will be able to share data with each other under a plan by the Health Ministry to electronically link these institutions.
The Healthcare IT system, which is currently being developed by Mimos Bhd, is expected to be ready in a year.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the system would eventually connect all 142 hospitals and over 1,000 health, mother and child, and dental clinics within a network.
“They will be able to share data, which will improve their services tremendously. Currently, the hospitals and clinics operate on a closed system, under which even the Putrajaya Hospital cannot communicate' with the Serdang Hospital,” he said at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Mimos here yesterday.
Liow said the initiative, to be implemented in phases, would entail massive development to the country's health system.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, who was also present, said that under the MoU, the Health Ministry would collaborate with Mimos in the development, implementation and proliferation of the Healthcare IT framework.
The first phase of the initiative, he said, would involve the enhancement of the Malaysia Health Information Exchange (MyHIX), a system which enables the exchange of medical records among hospitals and clinics in a smooth and secure manner.
It will also enhance the Malaysian Health Data Warehouse (MyHDW), a data analysis centre for the planning, research and monitoring of the healthcare system and the Sistem Maklumat Rawatan Perubatan (SMRP), an ongoing web-based medical treatment report system linking all hospitals in the country.
Dr Ongkili said the system would also involve Mimos' cloud computing technologies in mitigating cost issues and increasing ICT usage in public health and dental clinics nationwide.

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