Patients’ medical records to be digitised

Official says work on project is under way and will be completed in a year

RAWALPINDI:

Work has been started on an electronic medical recording project to upgrade the treatment system of 100 primary health centres in the Rawalpindi districts.

Under the project, all tests, medications, medical history of the patient will be available on a computerised number. Moreover, doctors, LHOs, support staff, medicines, elective medical equipment, blood, sugar, urine and TB test facilities would also be provided to augment the existing treatment facilities at all primary health centres.

Currently, 43 primary health centers are operating round-the-clock in seven tehsils of the Rawalpindi district, while 57 primary health centers provide treatment facilities from 8am to 2pm.

According to Medical Information System (MIS) Incharge Dr Waqar Ahmed, the implementation of Electronic Medical Recording Programme has been started in 100 primary health centers across the district and the target of upgradation of the treatment system in all the primary health centers should be completed this year. Dr Ahmed added that citizens in rural areas will get an upgraded system of treatment near their homes.

Keeping all primary health centers functional 24 hours by upgrading the treatment system is also part of the plan, he said, adding that the aim is to reduce the current pressure of patients on the tehsil headquarters, district headquarters and teaching hospitals. Dr Ahmed said that it has been decided to ensure the provision of the maximum possible treatment facilities to the citizens in their localities by declaring the upgradation of the current treatment system in primary health centers inevitable.

He shared that in the first phase, under the MIS, like other cities of Punjab, it has been decided to upgrade the existing medical treatment facilities in all the Basic Health Centers (BHUs) in Rawalpindi district working under the District Health Authority (DHA). The work on the upgradation of these BHUs under the plan has been initiated in the Rawalpindi district under which a computerised registration of the patient coming to these primary health centers will be done and a computerised number will be issued to them which will have the complete history of the patient's illness, all test reports, prescribed drugs, death, birth, vaccination and the complete record of check-up of pregnant women.

Dr Ahmed said that doctors can obtain all the relevant records by operating the computer number of the patient in the system. The record of the first visit will be available in the patient's second visit and all facilities will be available in the follow-up treatment in the future.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2023.