PITB is working successfully on 21 health projects in Punjab:Dr. Umar Saif

Lahore: Punjab Information Technology Board Chairman Dr. Umar Saif said that as many as 21 projects had been initiated to improve health services in Punjab by using android and internet applications. He was briefing in a meeting attended among others by the Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique and Secretary Health Jawad Rafique in his office.

Dr. Saif said that the projects include Dengue Tracking System, Disease Surveillance System of 26 communicable diseases, medicine inventory management system, health and hospital watch, Polio vaccination system, biometric attendance system in hospitals and automation of all hospitals etc. “The technology has brought real time change in the decades old governance and public service delivery in our basic health units (BHUs), rural health centers (RHCs), Tehsil and District headquarters hospitals across the province. Now it is impossible for administrative officers to send fake inspection reports because of evidence based smart devices provided to them by the PITB. They are to visit the hospitals physically and send online reports with pictures of their visits to the central dashboard where every activity is being recorded instantly. The data collected this way is reviewed by the high ups and key decisions are taken accordingly. This is a small example how modern technology is revolutionizing our governance and public service delivery system by ensuring transparency and accountability,” he informed the participants.

Applauding the steps taken by PITB, Khawaja Salman Rafique said that they are so innovative and effective that the Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif had desired to monitor each and every activity of Health department digitally. He told that PITB will be requested to monitor the working of 6 mobile health units working in backward districts of south Punjab declining presently.

The Secretary Health said that IT based projects of PITB are unprecedented that have helped in removing flaws found in the Health department. He said that its models would rightly be presented in the upcoming International Monitoring Board meeting to be held at Abu Dhabi.