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Recently, Sindh has digitized the medical supply chain. The province has introduced HLMIS or Health Logistic Management Information System. This web-based portal helps in keeping track of medicine stocks at the government-owned hospitals.
From primary health care units to teaching hospitals, the facility is widely available for everyone.
The management system would aid in the administration of all public hospitals and district healthcare centers. The directorates, ministries, and secretaries can access the data of procured medicines online for child and maternal healthcare centers especially. Besides that, the portal also provides insight medicine stocks, consumption, and remaining budget.
In an interview, one of the officials of healthcare departments said: “Using the system, health department officials can see how many medicines stock are remaining at all hospitals. Similarly, any lacking a particular medicine stock can visit the site and then get the required medicines from the nearby health facility.”
Health department officials also said that the portal has come into existence due to the technical and financial support of UNICEF. For the development fo the software, a US-based firm designated as Chemonics helped and offered its expertise.
“This system has been successfully deployed in all districts of the province. With this, not just the transparency of medicine consumption will be ensured, we will also be able to take immediate notice for the shortage of the medicine.” said the Sindh Health services Director-General Irshad Ahmed.
The health specialist at UNICEF Audrey Tulisov said that the medicine supply management system would play a crucial role in enhancing the responsiveness of the healthcare department regarding its medicine supply chain. It would also prove to be cost-effective and meets the demand for premium quality health facilities via informed decision making.
