KARACHI, June 22: A computer project aimed at the integration of clinical as well as financial and administrative applications at the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) has not been realised despite the lapse of a considerable amount of time. One of the key reasons for this is that the hierarchy in the provincial IT department seems to be dragging its feet on the project.
Sources privy to the venture said that the hospital automation scheme was approved by the provincial working development party (PWDP) on October 8, 2005, at a cost of Rs93.127 million. But it has been delayed so much that even the provincial health minister has expressed concern about the status of the project.
Despite the fact that the high-ups know the importance of the project for the hospital, they have failed to develop a consensus on some of the main issues in time, including the concise requirements of the hospital, turnkey solution, use of branded or unbranded machines and the technical evaluation of tenders.
“Instead of giving solutions to the problems, people at the helm of affairs always preferred to add pages to the CHK project files,” said an insider in the IT department, adding that the hierarchy was obviously divided into two groups -- one that was accountability-conscious and the other that was politically motivated.
Another source said that the hospital staff could also be questioned for the slow pace of the project. Perhaps some of the staff feared the transparency that is to prevail after computerisation, the source added, saying that during a study related to the project the provincial IT department team had come across the improper recording or reporting of patients’ data and non-indenting and indexing of records or files and other instruments.
A feasibility report for hospital management information system (HMIS) of the CHK was prepared by a private firm, taking almost two months as technical staff did not exist for the purpose in the IT department.
The administrative approval was obtained for the project from the Sindh finance department in May 2006, following which tenders were invited in October 2006.
Four companies participated in the tender, whose bids ranged from Rs100 million to Rs110 million, while the IT department had received an amount to the tune of Rs71 million in its kitty for the procurement of hardware and software.
According to the plan, training in basic computer technology was also due to take place in January 2007 for doctors and paramedics of the CHK. However, that could not happen as the related developments, including a technical evaluation which was to take place in February 2007, could not be ensured by the IT functionary.
While revealing that the entire exercise pertaining to tendering observed so far is going to be zeroed in the wake of the latest move of the IT bosses for modification in the scheme, a source said that there were two options: either to reduce the requirements of equipment or to get the whole scheme revised for an upward revision in the cost.
“The authorities should have moved for the scheme revision about eight months ago, without dilly-dallying,” the source commented.
However, it was learnt that the fresh demand of about Rs136 million for the project, with the plea that the pricing that was incorporated in the original version of PC-1 did not account for the provision of branded machines, had been held “unjustified” at a meeting of the PWDP.
The working party that met on April 30, 2007, has also objected to the cost of network laying, which had been increased from Rs0.26 million to Rs6.47 million.
However, the department says that the increase is unavoidable due to the fact that network coverage is to be increased because of additional construction at the CHK.
Another source in the IT department feared that the department will have to re-tender and check the feasibility of the scheme again. He said the frequent changes of secretaries and ministers had caused a lack of coordination in the department. “The absence of consensus and a congenial working environment could also be taken as a valid reason behind the deferral of the CHK project and slow progress on other IT department projects,” the source added.
When contacted, the Secretary of the IT Department, Mohammad Zakir, said that he had taken charge of the department only recently, adding that he had started taking measures for the expedition of all pending projects of the department.
When queried, the Director of the IT Department, Mohammad Yousuf, who is also looking after the CHK project, said that the reallocation of funds for the project would be approved by the provincial planning and development department shortly, following which tenders will be floated again. If things go in the right direction the automation work at the CHK will commence latest by September, he hoped.
In the meantime, the Board of Governors of the CHK has decided to pursue the government to hand over the HMIS project to it for quick implementation, it was officially learnt.
“The project is part of the Sindh ADP 2005-06 and envisaged the creation of a viable IT-based operational entity to improve the patient management performance and to reduce the file search time, improve the efficiency in medical data retrieval and quick availability of historical data of patients registered at the hospital,” said the source.