Opening of Department of Health Information

The Department of Health Information (DHI) is one of the eight departments of the Health Division. The department was formerly located on the other side of Gwardamangia Hill, next to the National Blood Transfusion Centre.

Civil and Electrical works on the new premises started in February 1997. Most of the works including construction, tile laying, electrical and mechanical services was done by the project and mechanical workshop and also by the carpenters section of the Health Division. Due to the inhouse works the department saved approximately Lm60,163.

The Information & Statistics Branch incorporates a number of national registries that in other countries would normally exist in separate institutions, as well as a section that deals with hospital statistics.

The National Mortality Registry receives all the death certificates issued in the Maltese Islands. The causes of death are classified according to international criteria, and the data elements on the certificate are coded and entered onto a computer database. This is analyzed to give mortality statistics and information that are published by the registry and also passed to the Central Office of Statistics, to the World Health Organization and to other interested persons and organizations.

The National Cancer Registry keeps a detailed confidential list of all the residents of the Maltese Islands who suffer from cancer. The registry collates data from a variety of sources that include cancer notifications, histology and cytology reports, and hospital records. The registration process follows strict quality criteria established by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the registry is a full member of the International Association of Cancer Registries. Information on cancer incidence and mortality is published by the registry and also passed to IARC for international publication.

The National Congenital AnomaliesRegistry is the youngest registry in this branch. It was placed on a sound footing last year. The registry collects data from various obstetric and paediatric units on congenitial anomalies emerging during the first year of life. The data are recorded confidentially according to EUROCAT principals. The registry recently distributed its first half-yearly report.

The Hospital Activity Analysis System records all the admissions to St. Luke's Hospital, as recorded by hospital staff. All discharge diagnosis recorded are coded and the data entered on computer, where they are analyses to give patterns of morbidity and bed activity. Daily hospital bed statistics are also being recorded and processed as a service to health service managers.

The Maternity Information System records all the deliveries and births occurring at Karen Grech Hospital, on the basis of data received from staff at the Postnatal ward. Monthly and annual statistics are issued on the basis of these data, as well as ad hoc reports.

The Operations Register system contains details on all the operations carried out at St. Luke's Hospital and Karen Grech Hospital. Data that are captured on computer at the Medical Records Department are processed and analyzed to give management reports to hospital surgeons and to the health service managers.

The DHI Library is a growing collection of books and articles, published both locally and abroad, that are relevant to health in the Maltese Islands. Visitors may refer to the publications on the premises.

The function of the Information a and Statistics Branch as an information clearing house is limited by the amount of information about health in Malta that the DHI receives from other departments. When information on a particular topic is unavailable members of staff always do their best to direct requests to the best possible resources.

Information about healthy lifestyles is provided by another department, the Department of Health Promotion, that has offices in Floriana & Valletta. In order to facilitate access by the public to this information, the DHI and the DHP are working together to publish the relevant information on the Internet.

The Computer Services Branch is responsible for supporting the information technology (IT) functions to the DHI, for central administrative functions concerning the Patient Administration System at hospitals and health centres, for laison with MITTS Ltd in the implementation of computer systems in the health services and for the delivery of training to health staff on specific computer systems.

The Training Centre is equipped with fifteen workstations and with audio-visual equipment to facilitate the transfer of IT skills to literally hundreds of health service staff.

The Director's Office is responsible for managing the Department, for strategic planning in the health IT sector, for support to the Ministry in IT administration, for corporate health data administration, for information resource management, and for statutory reports to international organizations on the health situation in Malta.

This branch runs the "Health in Malta" Internet website. This site, established in 1996 and delivered from a server at MITTS Ltd., gives information on the health status of the Maltese population and on the Government Health Services, as well as a number of external links to other useful Internet sites. The site has been gradually expanded and further development will occur in 1998. The URL (address) of the site is: http://www.magnet.mt/services/health

Ftuh tad-Dipartiment ta' Informazzjoni fuq is-Sahha

Id-Dipartiment ta' Informazzjoni fuq is-Sahha kellu rwol importanti hafna fit-tfassil tal-medical brieftal-isptar il-gdid f'Tal-Qroqq.

Il-Ministru ghas-Sahha, Kura ghall-Anzjani u Affarijiet tal-Familja, Dr Michael Farrugia kien qieghed jitkellem waqt il-ftuh ufficcjali tal-post il-gdid ta' dan id-dipartiment.

Id-Dipartiment ta' Informazzjoni fuq is-Sahha qabel kien qieghed f'post zghir u ma kienx possibbli li s-servizzi offruti jkomplu jespandu. Ix-xoghol f'dan il-post beda fi Frar tal-1997 u spicca f'Dicembru ta' l-istess sena. Dan il-progett gie jiswa inqas minn Lm82,000. Ix-xoghol kien jirrikjedi anke xoghol ta' bini ta' sular iehor. Ix-xoghol manwali ta' bini, xoghol ta' njam inkluz bibien ta' gewwa, kichenettes, twahhil ta' madum, ilma u elettriku u toilets godda sar mill-haddiema tad-divizzjoni tas-sahha u b'rizultat ta' dan gew iffrankati aktar min Lm60,000. Dawn il-flus se jintuzaw ghall-progetti ohra fit-taqsima tas-sahha. Il-Ministru fahhar ix-xoghol ta' dawn il-haddiema.

Il-Ministru Michael Farrugia kompla jghid li minflok il-post fejn kien jahdem dan id-dipartiment se jsir il-Fever Unit, li bhalissa jinsab fl-iSptar Boffa. Minflok il-Fever Unit se jsir post ta' rijabilitazzjoni ghall-pazjenti bil-kancer b'korinazzjoni mal-Hospice Movement. Ghalhekk b'caqlieqa wahda se jkunu jistghu jsiru tliett progetti importanti hafna ghas-servizz tac-cittadini Maltin u Ghawdxin.

Il-Ministru Farrugia qal ukoll li d-Dipartiment ta' Informazzjoni fuq is-Sahha haseb ukoll f'persuni b'dizabilita' ghaliex fih facilitajiet sanitarji ghall-persuni b'dizabilita', kif ukoll ser jigi installat lift ghas-sulari ta' fuq. Il-Ministru Farrugia sahaq fuq l-importanza ta' access ghall-persuni b'dizabilta' fil-progetti godda u wieghed li ezatt kif jigu ffinalizzati l-pjani ta' l-isptar il-gdid f'Tal-Qroqq, dawn se jigu mghoddija lill-Kummissjoni ghall-Persuni b'Dizabilita' sabiex jaraw li hemm access ghal kull servizz li jigi offrut ghac-cittadini kollha.

Dan id-dipartiment joffri servizz ta' taghlim tal-computer lil diversi impjegati fis-settur tas-sahha kif ukoll joffri servizz ta' informazzjoni ta' statistika.

Illum stess giet mniedija l-ewwel harga tal-fuljett DHI Fact Sheet. Dan se jkun bidu ta' sensiela ta' fuljetti li jwasslu nformazzjoni u statistika lis-settur mediku, lill-media u lic-cittadini Maltin u Ghawdxin.