Official launch of the first version of the national health information system (I-Seha) at BBK Hidd health center

Mr. Khalid Al Jalahma, Health Information Directorate’s director, has recently announced the launch of the National Health Information System (I-Seha), which has taken place during the last week of September at BBK Hidd health center, the facility elected as a pilot center to host the first version of the IT application. According to the implementation plan agreed with Indra, the company is responsible of implementing I-Seha, the first phase of the deployment will start with Primary Health Care facilities, and will be gradually extended from BBK Hidd health center in a first stage, to Naim health center and Muharraq governorate’s health centers in a second stage, and followed then by the rest of health centers of the kingdom’s different governorates, totaling 26 health centers once the system is fully implemented. Meanwhile, I-SEHA will be as well installed in some departments of Salmaniya Medical Complex. Mr. Khaled Al Jalahma clarified that the project team is performing several activities to prepare the implementation of the first version of the IT solution: One activity consists of training all the medical and operational staff who work at BBK Hidd health center on the use of the application. Another activity is to ensure that all the required technical supplies are available to launch this national system. Moreover, work teams are being prepared to help users once the system is launched and working. Mr. Al Jalahma confirmed that I-SEHA is meant to be an integrated health system that will transform the health services provided to patients and bring them to an electronic stage. This ambitious goal requires the system to be tested in a pilot center and afterwards implemented gradually in different locations. The project team will stay at BBK Hidd for one month since the launching of the system. During this time, the team’s objective will be to solve and monitor all the problems and difficulties that users may face at the beginning of the implementation. The experience acquired in this pilot health center about the user’s problems while training or using the system, will help to decide the best way to launch it in the rest of health centers. This experience will also cover the best way to deal with technical problems. Implementing the system in a well-equipped health center allows tracking the normal workflow of a patient, from scheduling appointments to the family physician, passing through nursing care and other sections as laboratory, radiology or pharmacy. All these services will be provided electronically in BBK Hidd health center as a first trial stage. Mr. Khalid Al Jalahma explained that the first version of primary health care of the National Health Information System will cover most of the health services provided to patients in health centers. It is required to analyze the implications of the use of this system, as the experience on the ground after the launching in different health center departments like nursing, radiology, laboratory, pharmacy and medical records; may find it necessary to change both the way of working or the health system, to be in line with what the system requires. After implementing the first version of the system in BBK Hidd health center, which provides primary healthcare, it will be determined both the links and workflows with secondary healthcare provided by Salmaniya Medical Complex and King Hamad University Hospital. Mr. Khalid clearly stressed that the implementation of this system needs the collaboration of everyone: patients, health services providers and the different project teams; in order to raise the efficiency of health services to equal the best that can be found globally. Finally, Mr. Khalid Al Jalahma mentioned that the implementation period for the first version of I-Seha will be for a month at BBK Hidd health center. This period has been agreed with Indra. After that month, there will be an agreement on the final shape of the system, which will be considered as an outcome of a real experience .Then, the system will be implemented in the other health centers, starting with Muharraq Governorate’s centers. It is worth mentioning that the National Health Information System (I-Seha) is a strategic health project which will contribute to a significant change in electronic health services provided by the Ministry of Health, thanks to its agreement with Indra as an implementing agency of the national project.