Health
PERMANENT Secretary of Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Abdulaziz Mashi, has emphasised the importance of Health Management Information System (HMIS), saying it will check quality of services at different levels of healthcare delivery in the country.
Abdulaziz said this in his address at a two- day National Dissemination Workshop on Revised National Health Management Information System Tools, version 2019, on Monday in Abuja.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by Department of Health Planning, Research and Statistics of the ministry.
The aim of the department is to ensure availability of timely, reliable data for evidence-based decision making in the health sector, which led to the establishment of the National Health Management Information System (NHMIS).
The permanent secretary said that “the objective of the HMIS is to record information on health events and check the quality of services at different levels of healthcare delivery.
“HMIS is also a tool to gauge patient’s satisfaction and quality of care in the country.”
Abdulaziz said it could be an instrument which would be used to improve patient satisfaction with health services in the Primary Health Care Centres by tracking certain dimensions of quality service delivery.
He said that the quality service delivery could be checked by comparing perceptions of services delivered with the expected standards.
“The objective of the HMIS would be to record information on health events and check the quality of services at different levels of healthcare.
“Patient assessment is part of the concept of giving importance to patient’s views in improving the quality of healthcare delivery.”
The permanent secretary said that the expected benefits include; enhancing Nigerians’ satisfaction through improved communication; greater provider sensitivity toward Nigerians.
Mashi added that it would also enhance community awareness about the quality of services; and overall services in healthcare delivery system.
Dr Emmanuel Meribole, the Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics, said an efficient and effective HMIS was critical to both the healthcare system and to the health of Nigerians.
“This is because it will provide the system and data central for policy planning, setting of targets and policy implementation.”
Meribole said it would require the availability of, access to, and analysis of accurate and adequate information that would address district, national and institutional development, as well as implementation of challenges.
The director said that for sustainability, HMIS considered local settings when designed, stating that stakeholders worked with government and donors to help build integrated information systems aimed at addressing the challenges in the health sector.
According to him, other than health information system policy and strategic framework development, such challenges encompass national, sub-national information systems integrated with human resource management systems, monitoring and evaluation systems, as well as related institutional capacity building.
Dr Chinedu Chukwu, the Senior Technical Manager, Global Fund Malaria Grant for Management Sciences for Health, said that monitoring and evaluation of any healthcare system at all levels could not be emphasised.
Chukwu said that the major function of the HMIS was to collect and manage the health service delivery information at all levels of healthcare service delivery outlets in the country.
He said that the HMIS would aide government to verify, process, analyse the collection of data at all levels and would provide feedback on achievements, coverage, continuity and quality of health services offered by healthcare facilities.
The expert said that HMIS would enable government to disseminate health information through efficient methods and technologies and to publish a comprehensive annual report in the health sector.
NAN
– Dec. 17, 2019 @ 09:10 GMT |
Tags: Perm. Sec. emphasises importance of HMIS to quality heathcare services
