His Excellency the Advisor to the Minister of Health and MOH General Supervisor of Information and Communication Technology, Dr. Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Wahaibi, asserted that the statistics and information technology plays a key and important role in the success of the Hajj season; due to its importance in transferring data quickly, and analyzing them in a manner helps prepare the accurate statistics that enable officials to take the appropriate decisions in a timely manner.
Dr. Al-Wahaibi added in a press conference held on Monday afternoon at MOH's headquarters that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has supplied the Command and Control Center of the Mina Emergency Hospital with all necessary equipments and systems to activate the role of technology in making decisions on time based on the correct data, indicating that the Command Center will help MOH officials to manage all matters related to Hajj, such as follow-up of occupancy rates, supervision of the transfer process of patients among hospitals, and movement of ambulances inside the holy sites.
Within the same vein, Dr. Al-Wahaibi pointed out that the Ministry is working on more than one network; in order to ensure business continuity, adding that the MOH has carried out during the last Hajj season many technological projects, including the Electronic Fax Program, which helps convert the send and receive processes in the fax system electronically through using the network of the Ministry of Health; making it possible to refer patients among hospitals in a fast and modern way. Through this program, the professional can transfer the patient by pressing a button, without need of the usual ways of sorting and resending the fax papers. Also, it will help sort all fax papers in one place in order to check them any time.
In addition, Dr. Al-Wahaibi highlighted that the MOH has introduced the Digital Pen Program in the health centers of the holy sites; which converts the forms of patients from papers into digital models to be transmitted through a connection between the digital pen and the network. Such models are converted later into databases, and then to information and statistics on the health status of patients, so that the health staff can use them in their daily work.
Dr. Al-Wahaibi further noted that that the “Assets Management and Follow-Up System” is one of the latest programs that have been introduced to the Hajj season. This system aims to increase the utilization of the medical and non-medical assets of hospitals, and it has many advantages, including direct tracking of assets and their movements, recording of events, and preventing wasting and loss of any asset or equipment of the hospital.
In the same context, Dr. Al-Wahaibi highlighted that this year has witnessed the completion of installing the Ambulance Tracking System (ATS), bringing the total number of operating ambulances to 160 ambulances. Also, the Ministry has introduced some improvements to the system in order to help develop it, and adopted the Traffic Congestion Monitor Service, so that the drivers can take the correct roads.
In addition, Dr. Al-Wahaibi underscored that this year has witnessed also the introduction of the Manpower System, through which the visiting physicians are nominated to serve in the Hajj season electronically. Dr. Al-Wahaibi highlighted also that a new electronic statistical system is to be launched during this year; given that new tablets have been provided for MOH official to help them obtain the statistics on time electronically.
Such statistics include the number of patients, open-heart surgeries, cardiac catheterization, and dialysis.
Moreover, Dr. Al-Wahaibi reported that the Ministry has developed the Mini Hospital Management Program in the hospitals of the holy sites, which depends on the use of the computer in entering information and limiting the paperwork; to perform many functions, such as registration, hospitalization, transfer, death registration, and other functions.
Within the same vein, Dr. Al-Wahaibi referred to the application of the Hajj and Umrah Drivers Examination Program (Yaqiz), which is used for reporting the drivers who are addicted to drugs or any other banned substances, so that the concerned authorities can deal with them. The Ministry has also developed the Ijad System which helps find the missing pilgrims through their data recorded at the health facilities.
Finally, Dr. Al-Wahaibi mentioned that the MOH has started applying the Epidemiological Surveillance System (HESN). The new system is characterized by coherence and flexibility on the internet and it is considered the prepared version of the public health system to monitor and manage diseases and epidemics in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The system provides the health workers and decision-makers with accurate information with the aim of providing a high level of health services.