The Department of Health will fast-track improvements to its ICT systems in preparation for the upcoming 2010 Soccer World Cup.
The department says its upgrades to systems and technologies at its National Health Operating Centre will co-ordinate all health services related to the major sporting tournament.
Improvement plans form part of the National Emergency Medical Service Strategic Framework, which aims to improve emergency medical services over the next five years. Limpopo, Gauteng and the North-West province recently reported that their health departments were 90% ready for the tournament, saying that all plans would be completed in time.
The national operations centre will implement ICT systems, which will link to provincial health operations centres in all nine provinces, and provide real-time monitoring, collating and reporting on the roll-out of all aspects of the health plan.
“The command and control centre for the tournament will ensure a seamless flow of information for both decision-making and intervention when necessary,” says the department.
Information on the system will allow for incident reports, while a radio-based communication system will be used to manage all health and medical resources. An online system for all official venues and radio linkages will also be implemented. Emergency centre capabilities will also be improved within selected hospitals, and clinical information databases and disaster management systems would be improved as well.
“ICT-based systems will not only provide an overview of progress countrywide, but will also be capable of providing real-time information on the status of patients, pre-identified incidents, resource deployment and hospital bed availability,” says the department.
A public access Web site has also been created, which will contain health promotion information and focus on health information pertinent to tourists.
Medical centres and posts in each stadium have been designed and will be set up in time for the event, says the department. Centres will be equipped with medical equipment, telephone and data lines, emergency power systems and ambulance access.
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