RM1.5 bln integrated ICT system planned to further improve health services

The Health Ministry plans to develop an integrated information communication technology (ICT) system to further improve the quality of health services in the country.

Its minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the system, estimated to cost RM1.5 billion, would be developed in stages and the project was expected to start before the 14th General Election.

"I will bring up this matter to the prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) soon as the proposal came up a long time ago, but the development has been slow," he said after officiating at the implementation of the Pharmacy Information System (PhIS) at Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital, here, Sunday.

Dr Subramaniam said the system's development process was not easy and would take three to five years.

With the system, all the existing or new systems involving matters such as registration and patient records will be integrated in one system that can be accessed by any hospital or medical centre.

It will be convenient for patients as they need not bring along their old medical records to a new place if their cases are transferred or referred to another hospital.

Dr Subramaniam said in the initial phase, the system would only involve government hospitals but in future, to be extended to the private hospitals.

On the launching of the PhIS Sunday, he said the system was developed with 12 main modules to monitor the management of medicines at the hospital covering procurement, optimising use of resources, improving quality of services, and safety of medicines.

"Through the system, the transaction data including the prescription process, dispensing of medicines and others are gathered in the data 'warehouse' to allow for analysis inn order to improve the services overall," he added.

On another development, Dr Subramaniam said to reduce the waiting time for the use of the operation theatres at Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital, he would request for approval from the Finance Ministry for two more operation theatres, estimated to cost between RM4 million and RM5 million.