Microsoft tie-up for pre-natal test Act
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The health and family welfare department is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft this week to develop software to streamline the Pre-Conception Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. The software would help daily update of data on registration, licence renewal and maintenance of records on online forms, as also do away with manual inspection of record maintenance, officials said. According to the health department, there would, however, be no scaling down of manual inspections on ultrasound clinics even after these daily online updates are started.
Dr Ch. Jayakumari, joint director, health and family welfare department, said, “We will start this linkage from Microsoft on a pilot basis with a single clinic and then extend (the service) to all clinics, nursing homes and ultrasound diagnostic centres. While their updates would be available online and checked by programme officers, surprise checks would also be conducted to verify further.”
But even as the department aims to go hi-tech, Hyderabad hasn’t had a regular district medical and health officer (DMHO) for nearly 18 months now. Officials with temporary or additional charge are running the show. Some have even been shifted at short notice, which has meant inspections are not conducted regularly and seriously.
Four DMHOs were changed within a year since January 2011. The chop-and-change system began with Dr B.L. Veenakumari, became DMHO in early 2011 but was removed by the district collector within six months for alleged irregularities in appointment of health department staff and mishandling of funds. The abrupt and uncertain stints of the DMHOs have affected inspection of the functioning of hospitals and clinics, with many small clinics, diagnostic centres and nursing homes in the city not visited by a DMHO in well over a year.
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