Software Can Track Infectious Disease

Ha Noi — The Department of Preventive Medicine has announced that beginning this July, a software to monitor infectious diseases will be applied in all 63 provinces and cities nation-wide.

The department, which functions under the Ministry of Health, said the software had been successfully piloted in seven provinces and cities including Ha Noi, Yen Bai, Thai Binh and Binh Dinh since July 2012.

Since then, 49 provinces and cities have already used the software, which was designed to receive data about infectious diseases from medical stations at all levels.

Depending on different levels, software users can access information or set up, read and adjust reports.

The software will be managed by the Department of Preventive Medicine.

Department experts said that the software will be a great improvement on the earlier practice of localities reporting the incidence and spread of diseases via mail, email, fax or telephone. The resultant delay in communicating crucial information had prevented timely application of measures to present further occurrence and spread of infectious diseases, they said.

Dang Van Huynh, deputy director of the Ha Giang Department of Health, said that the new software improves data collection and enables quicker responses.

However, he also noted that some medical workers, especially at commune levels, were not competent enough to use the software.

He said the Department of Preventive Medicine should conduct computer training courses for medical workers at grassroots levels. (PNA/VNS) CTB/EBP