The strength of a system is tested when it is passed through a test. We’re not divorced from this idea and regularly validate it through the act of living and survival. Unfortunately, when COVID-19 pandemic was nearing its peak in summer of 2020, our healthcare system was just not ready to handle the pressure of primary and secondary healthcare services including immediate bedside treatment and post-hospital patient care and management. A distraught public health system and disgruntled public – things need to change and there is hope!

That hope is Dr. Safee Ullah’s work which has been recognised through the prestigious Shahid Hussain Public Health Research Grant! This is great news because it means that Dr. Safee Ullah and his team will be able to develop a framework to seamlessly integrate healthcare data with all stakeholders of the health care system around the country and in doing so – help save millions of lives and financial resources!

Dr. Safee’s strategy relies on integration of healthcare data through the international system HL7 i.e. Health Level Seven International. This will be achieved through a three-pronged strategy; 1) Evaluation of compatibility of the HIMS (Health Management Information Systems) database, 2) Implementation of data adapter and 3) Demonstration of prototype.

Dr. Safee intends and hopes to work closely with Shalamar Hospital for exchange, storage and retrieval of health care information data to improve and strengthen the healthcare sector of the country. We congratulate and wish him success in this project!