Health Ministry to upgrade all labs electronically

– plans to also address antimicrobial resistance

After recognising that the Health Ministry needs an integrated system to share information, not only on paper but also electronically, the Ministry has decided that very shortly, possibly within the next year or so, they will have an electronic setup where all labs will be fully integrated to share information.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony made this announcement on Thursday as the Health Ministry launched its Multi-Hazard Emergency Management Plan for stakeholders.
These plans aim to ensure that whenever an issue arises, the Ministry can respond appropriately.
While the focus has been on developing many plans, the Ministry has also started looking at ways to improve its capacity to respond, along with its partners.
According to the Minister, this is a grand move by the Ministry.
“One of the things we recognise is that we need to have an integrated system where we can share information. So, we have been doing that in a paper-based way, and what we will do very shortly, maybe within the next year or so, is have an electronic setup where all our labs will be fully integrated electronically so that information can be shared. When we collect samples at one site, and it’s processed, that information can be securely shared with the hospital or the lab that sent us the sample.”
Meanwhile, he shared his perspective on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), stating that plans already set out, need to be put into motion regarding this area.
The Health Ministry has made significant progress, but there is now a need to upgrade the existing systems, which is seen as a natural next step. The goal is to develop practical approaches to respond more effectively to emerging issues.
A key focus explained by the Minister is the ability to detect potential problems, as there may be issues that have not yet been identified.
“Just last year, with the assistance of PAHO (Pan American Health Organisation), we were able to establish a laboratory. We’ve also created another plan to address antimicrobial resistance, identifying what we can do as a country and which sectors can be involved, and how they can be involved. We need to put that plan into action,” he noted.
According to Anthony, a deep sense of monitoring is required with these plans.
“We also need to monitor. We need to see what’s happening, because we’ve been seeing some patients with microbial resistance, and we need to figure out how we can respond to these patients.”
One area where they have seen this, and where they had a few patients, is in the area of tuberculosis.
The Minister explained that the medications used to treat patients require a long treatment period.
“People have to take the meds for months. Some people, after taking medication for nine months, might feel fed up and may not want to take it anymore. But these things can lead to resistance, and we’ve seen that with some of our patients. These are things we have to monitor. So, we have another plan with our AMR, where we are working on that, and we want to bring all of these things together so we can respond appropriately.”
He also added that expanding and working on specific projects will give a better understanding of disease dynamics in the country, and what can be done to eradicate or control them.
However, once a more robust system is in place, it is expected that more issues will be detected, and when that happens, an appropriate response will be required.
Vigilance is essential, and as systems are developed, continuous upgrades are necessary to ensure they are functioning in the best interests of the population, ultimately leading to a more robust healthcare framework.