Patient centric e-health solution beneficial

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that Vidu Suwa was a timely and appropriate project for the present health service as the need of the hour was that it became more patient-centred.

The Minister made this statement while participating as the chief guest at Hotel Galadari, in Colombo on Monday afternoon (22) at a function for launching the pilot project called Vidu Suwa.

Dr. Keith Chapman at the e-Consultation Centre at the Base Hospital in Marawila communicating with Dr. Lal and the patient at the e-Clinic in Dankotuwa as seen on the computer screen.

Suggesting a novel idea for marketing the concept, sub-titled ‘a patient centric e-health solution’ the minister said: "Let the private hospitals implement this concept. Then the people will tell us ‘Give us this facility which the private hospitals have’". Referring to his own experience of failing to popularize the e-Health concept about five years ago beginning from his electorate of Badulla the Minister said that the pilot project which commenced on Monday from the Marawila Base hospital and the Dankotuwa District hospital had better chances of being successfully replicated island-wide because it had originated well, with the support of Doctors like Keith Chapman and his guru and president of the Sri Lanka association of surgeons Dr. Narendra Pinto.

http://www.island.lk/2009/06/25/business7.html