Sindh goes digital with electronic health records

Telehealth, mental healthcare, early breast cancer detection among key health reforms

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has launched a series of initiatives to modernise healthcare, including electronic medical records, expanded mental health services, early breast cancer detection and improved critical care facilities, Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho said on Tuesday.

Addressing a cancer awareness seminar organised by the Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning, the minister said special attention was being given to the early identification of mental health problems, with all lady health workers being trained to recognise symptoms of depression and other psychological disorders.

The programme will also focus on identifying mental health problems among women after childbirth, she added.

Dr Pechuho said awareness campaigns would be launched to promote early detection of breast cancer, while community health workers would receive specialised training. Women would also be taught how to conduct self-examinations to detect breast lumps at an early stage.

She said there was a need to establish a comprehensive and reliable mental health data registry and strengthen coordination among psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and communities.

The provincial government was also working on launching telehealth and teletherapy services to extend mental healthcare to districts, she added.