GeospatialMapping-JK
Geospatial mapping to measure access to healthcare in J&K
Srinagar/IBNS: In a bid to assess and improve the accessibility of the healthcare network in J&K, the government is considering a proposal to start geospatial mapping of various health facilities and their utility.
J&K’s Health and Medical Education Department and Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing Department of J&K are in the process of reviving a project that had been started in 2012.
A letter written by the Environment and Remote Sensing Department to Health and Medical Education Department on Jan. 27 has conveyed the agreement of the former to update “Measuring the Physical Accessibility of the Healthcare Network using GIS and Remote Sensing”.
The study had allowed the department to provide scientific information on the location of new health facilities.
A senior health official said that the Geographic Information System (GIS) based model helps to map the catchment area of the existing health facility networks.
“It helps in scaling up the network so that the patients are able to access health facilities within a predetermined travel time irrespective of their location, topography, landscape features, mode of transportation, speed of travel, direction of travel of patient, population distribution, road network and physical barriers,” he said.
The GIS powered healthcare system would be a more efficient one, especially in trauma and emergency cases.
While referring to a meeting carried out on Jan. 11 this year, the Ecology department said that the health department shall provide the useful information to be included in geoportal for online geospatial data services.
This data includes the number of beds, doctors and paramedics in each of the health centers.
A project funding of Rs 36 lakh has been sought for the purpose.
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