E-health programmes to end brain drain- Health Minister

The government has embarked on an innovative programme in tele-radiology and tele-pathology to seek a solution for brain drain of radiologists and pathologists, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said. E-Health programmes can be used to provide education to doctors and other health personnel while they remain in Sri Lanka.

The Minister was addressing the Commonwealth Health Ministers’ meeting in Geneva on May 18. Western Province Health Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, Dr. Palitha Abeykoon and Additional Ministry Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayathileka were the other members of the delegation.

This meeting was organised by Commonwealth Secretary General Kamlesh Sharma and Health Ministers representing nearly 50 Commonwealth countries attended this annual forum. The main theme was the place of E-health in health systems development and healthcare delivery.

Minister de Silva highlighted the initiatives taken by the Government on E-health, to improve the quality and equity of healthcare.

He further said the development of information systems and management information systems in hospitals are vital to sustainable development of health system.

In developing countries expanding E-health service has been affected by lack of bandwidth infrastructure around the country, especially in rural areas where it could be most useful. In Sri Lanka, the Government is addressing the limitation by developing the telecommunications infrastructure which will be accessible to the health sector.

He also urged the Commonwealth Secretariat and other international agencies to establish a mechanism to share technical, E-health related materials and programmes and information among Commonwealth countries undertaking E-health services.

The Minister also highlighted that computer hardware and software required for E-health are often beyond resource capacities of developing countries. It is high time for international agencies to develop an efficient mechanism, as in the case of HIV and Malaria medicines, to make E-health software and hardware affordable for developing countries.

The meeting decided that climate change and health will be the theme for their meeting in 2009. The Minister said the Health Ministry jointly with the Commonwealth Foundation and Commonwealth Secretariat has planned to organise an International Pan Commonwealth Conference on Climatic Change and Health in Sri Lanka in May 2009. He further said this conference will be a preamble to the meeting in 2009.

The organisers hope to bring key civil society organisations and government representatives working in the areas of health and environment from Commonwealth, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the pacific to attend the sessions.

The WHO, other partners and the Environment Minister will also be invited for this meeting. The Minister said he is confident this event will become the first of a series of high level policy dialogues on climate change and health across the Commonwealth.