3-D mapping tool to chart govt hospitals

The programme,part of Delhi’s ambitious Spatial Data Infrastructure project,will also cover MCD and NDMC hospitals and dispensaries.

Health department officials said the idea took shape while developing a mapping system to represent breeding spots for dengue and malaria vectors in the city before the next monsoon season. The programme,which was envisaged in March 2008,had not included health facilities initially,officials said .

“It was covering Metro,water and telephone networks. Mapping was complete in September when we realised such a tool would help us manage the dengue outbreak better. When the IT department agreed,we also requested for an expansion to include hospital facilities,” said a senior Health department official.

Health minister Kiran Walia said,“It is an exhaustive system,and the first for any state health system in the country.”

Tracking breeding hotspots
According to Health department officials,management of vector-borne diseases will become easier through such the mapping mechanism,which was completed in November. “The idea is to identify and map breeding spots before the monsoon season. However organised we may be,controlling and monitoring vector-breeding in a city like Delhi is a mammoth task.”

Till now,the department relied on written records of breeding spots. The software will also help Health officials visually monitor the breeding areas and identify the hotspots for more intensive efforts. “In addition,a visual tool will also help workers recognise the problem area better,” an official said. The map also has colour codes for breeding spots according to the stage of treatment,as well as the area. “If breeding spots are found in high-risk areas like within hospital compounds,we highlight them. Residential areas have a different colour code. Once they have been treated,the colour changes,” an official said.

Civic officials have been asked to submit details of existing breeding spots in their area that have been found and treated this season. “The idea is to begin work now to be better prepared for next year. We are finding breeding spots even now,and constantly updating the information,” said Dr V K Monga,MCD’s Health committee chairman.

Listing hospital facilities
The map will also list hospitals according to the availability of diagnostic and surgical facilities. “We have colour-coded hospitals according to bed strength,pathological,radiodiagnostic,surgical and morgue facilities. Specialised centres,like trauma centres and burns wards,have different codes. Hospitals under construction have also been marked with a specific colour code.”

Government and the civic hospitals doctors have already undergone a training session on the software. Major General Girish Kumar,Chief Engineer in charge of the application,said,“We will hand over the rights to the Health department,which will hand it to the agencies. The software should be running by January-end.”