Selayang Hospital digital system issue is ‘cancer’ that needs to be fixed, says Health Minister

PETALING JAYA: The issue affecting the digital system of Selayang Hospital was a problem inherited from previous administrations and has become a "cancer" that needs to be fixed, says Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa (pic).

In a Twitter thread on Feb 15, she said that she has met the hospital management and the Selangor Health Department to reinstate the specialist hospital to its status as the best in the region as it was before being beset by problems.

"The issue with regards to the information and communications technology (ICT) system involving the Selayang Hospital is indeed in my radar of concern.

"A few engagements and discussions were held. I have been briefed in detail by the Selayang Hospital (management) and representatives of the Selangor Health Department to understand the source of the old problems which has now become 'cancerous' to the hospital.

"It is obvious that the issues are not new, in fact they were inherited. However, with my will, financial allocations and the needed time, these must be solved.

"God-willing, embodying the core of Malaysia Madani, I hereby pledge a strong commitment to ensure that Selayang Hospital is returned to its glory of an exemplary hospital in the South-East Asian region as it was before," Dr Zaliha tweeted.

Her tweets were in response to a recent report by a health portal which highlighted that Selayang Hospital, which was set up as a paperless hospital, was facing failure and degradation of its electronic medical record (EMR) system.

The report alleged that the staff were forced to record patient data manually and that the different systems put in place are a mess.

However, her tweet was replied to by another twitter user who said that only an "overarching digitalisation effort" would be able to solve the problem.

SISTEM TEKNOLOGI MAKLUMAT (ICT) HOSPITAL SELAYANG Isu melibatkan sistem teknologi maklumat (ICT) di Hospital Selayang sememangnya di dalam radar perhatian saya. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/N6WPhixMAx — Dr.Zaliha Mustafa (@Zaliha_DrZ) February 15, 2023