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‘Digital hospitals’ in TT’s future
Posted On 15 Sep 2013
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HEALTH MINISTER Dr Fuad Khan on Friday night outlined an ambitious plan for the establishment of virtual “digital hospitals” whereby all medical records — including images — could be made available to doctors at the click of a mouse.
Speaking during the 2014 Budget debate, Khan said, “at the touch of a button you would get the medial records of the patient”. He said “Smart Cards” with chips will be used to store medical records and could be kept on persons.
“Every person will have a health card,” he said. He said a National Health Card System is planned and a pilot stage will be implemented in coming months.
He noted a key problem of the State’s medical care system involves the coordination of information.
“When one sends a patient to the San Fernando General Hospital they are supposed to go with all of the records,” he said. “But somewhere, somehow there are gaps — whether someone failed to write up a report or something like that.”
Khan noted plans for several new medical facilities, including one for gynaecologic oncology. He warned the population to be on the alert for cases of dengue and said the state would be engaging in “biological warfare” with mosquitoes in coming weeks. He also warned persons going on Hajj to beware of the new “corona” virus which has been traced to the Middle-East.
