Complete Health Information System to be maintained

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

“The Health Ministry will establish and maintain a complete Health Information System with the assistance of the Kelaniya University. Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena ordered health officials to establish and maintain a complete health information system to provide a better health service to the public,” a Health ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Health Ministry and the Kelaniya University recently in connection with the implementation of the project. The Department of Industrial Management of the Kelaniya University Faculty of Science will provide technical assistance to the Health Ministry to maintain the health information system.

The spokesman said there is no accurate and updated statistics on the number of state hospitals, doctors etc available in the state

health sector. Although ministries, such as, the Health Ministry have established information systems, they do not have the required funds and technology to maintain and update them properly. Therefore, development projects suffer due to lack of updated and accurate statistics. From this year, the Health Ministry will overcome the difficulties of maintaining and updating its health information system which is a

timely requirement. The MoU was signed by the Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayatilleke and Kelaniya University Vice

Chancellor Prof. Sarath Amungama in the presence of the Head of the Department of Industrial Management of the Kelaniya University

Dr.Chamly Pushpakumara, Senior Lecturer on IT of Kelaniya University Gamini Wijeratne and Health Ministry officials.