Centre calls for advanced health information system

 New Delhi, July 17 (IANS): Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday called for an advanced database health information system that can provide status of every health related issue across India.

"The database information system will help to improve the global health security and act as evidence to frame policies and can help in knowing the impact of the policies," he said while releasing the ninth edition of the "National Health Profile" here.

The National Health Profile is an initiative by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence. Its objective is to create a versatile database of health information of India and making it available to all stake holders in the healthcare sector.

Harsh Vardhan said the use of the database system would also help in knowing the status of the dreaded diseases, which till now does not have any particular statistical record.

"It was the efforts by India which led to the eradication of polio. Similarly, the database system will help the health ministry to know about the status of other dreaded diseases like measles and encephalitis that need to be eradicated," he said.

"I hope in the next edition of the National Health profile, the data will consist of the status related to the diseases of which the government of India does not have any statistical record," he added.

The minister said there was a need for proper use of the resources in the society to match the international medical standards.

"The standard of some of the developed nations are very high in terms of the medical data base system. They maintain the records of the status of every disease across the world," Harsh Vardhan. 

"India should also put efforts to keep the records of every health related issues. There is a need for the proper utilisation of the resources available in the society to match the International standards," he said.

"There should be a proper co-ordination between the health officials at the central government and the state governments, so that there is uniformity while tackling the health related issues," he said.