Health Ministry launches Malaysian Health Data Warehouse

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Health Data Warehouse (MyHDW), a collection of all health-related data, was launched today by the Health Ministry.
The MyHDW will have health-related data, among others, from government and private hospitals, universities and military hospitals.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam who launched the MyHDW said the collected data can be analysed by the health service sector so that better evidence-based medicine can be practiced.
The government, he added, already has solid health related data but integrating more information from other sectors will only serve to make it even more accurate.
However, he pointed out that data on outpatient services have yet to be collected due to the large number of people who receive such services.
He said developing the database locally with Mimos meant the Health Ministry only had to pay as little as 20% of what it would cost to have a foreign company develop a similar system.
He added that the database is publicly accessible but certain information such as patient records will be restricted to those who are authorised.
On H1N1 outbreak, Dr Subramaniam said there is no outbreak of the disease in the country and thus the disease is not a serious threat.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), he added, is not considering it as an epidemic.
"We have it (H1N1) every day, and it only has flu-like symptoms. Certain groups such as pregnant women are more vulnerable to it, so doctors need to be more careful in such cases," he said.
Director-General of Health Datuk Seri Noor Hisham Abdullah, meanwhile said, they are monitoring six patients in Terengganu who have shown flu-like symptoms but have yet to determine if it is H1N1.
A pregnant woman in Terengganu died from H1N1 on April 13, almost a week after she was hospitalised for a week-long fever on April 7.