A National database of patients will be brought out soon in the country to enable effective treatment of patients all over the country, according to Rajeev Ratna Shah, member secretary, Planning Commission.

The Department of Information Technology and Tele Medicine has already submitted a preliminary report in this regard and the government will soon study the report. Shah informed that the 11th five year plan would give a major impetus to health and education and all the government departments will earmark 2-3 per cent of their budget for information and communication technology (ICT) related projects.

Speaking on the sidelines of 7th Annual Baramati Initiative, Shah said, the concept of a national database, though in a nascent stage, is a step in right direction, as that will provide complete details of patients who are suffering from chronic illness and acute ailments to doctors in any part of the country. He added that this would be possible with the use of ICT to provide the details to the correct authorized person without any problems relating to privacy.

Delving on the emergence of e-health and tele-medicine, Shah said, that, they should have norms that needs to standardised, be refined and operational by the 12th five year plan. The issue has been considered in the 11th five year plan. He also stressed on the role of ICT in the field of medicine and healthcare at the conference.