Managing Veterinary Hospitals Using Modern Electronic Systems
Dr. Ahmed Adhab Mohammed Al-Ramahi / Basra
23/ 8/ 2024
The governmental administrative system for animal health in Iraq consists of the Veterinary Department at the national level in Baghdad, veterinary hospitals in the governorates, and veterinary dispensers in the districts and sub-districts. In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, there is a General Directorate of Animal Wealth and Veterinary Medicine in the capital Erbil, and there are veterinary directorates in each governorate and an independent administration, and there are veterinary centers in the districts and sub-districts.
Governmental veterinary hospitals spread throughout the centers of the Iraqi governorates and their affiliated veterinary clinics in all districts and sub-districts, and they are vital points in the field of preserving the health of animals and society and thus bear the greatest burden of implementing the state’s strategic plans to contain disease foci in animals, in addition to other services they provide to citizens.
After the expansion of the work of veterinary hospitals and the increase in responsibilities due to the spread of common epidemic diseases that can pose a threat to human and animal life and the country’s economy, it has become necessary to develop work in veterinary hospitals by using electronic systems and modern programs. Because of their great benefits on the speed of work completion and the accuracy of information. In the past years, most governmental and private institutions have moved towards introducing smart electronic systems in administrative work to improve services, speed up work and reduce effort.
During the past five years that I worked in the veterinary hospital in Basra and during my research and study of the most important aspects of this institution, I present here a set of systems and programs with a brief explanation (and I will provide a detailed study of all programs) that will advance the work of veterinary hospitals in Iraq to provide the best service to the community.
First: The electronic inventory system in the warehouses. Which contains:
- The electronic inventory card program: The mission of this program is to follow the movement of medicines, vaccines and supplies from the moment they are received and entered into the warehouse until they are distributed and then sold and receive reports on drug sales from veterinary clinics and the outpatient clinic department in veterinary hospitals. The warehouse manager or his authorized representative can know the quantity of materials in any location and the amount sold and the expiry date for each material.
- The electronic inventory record program: It contains a database of all branches affiliated with the veterinary hospital from branches, clinics and border outlets, and what it owns in its possession of materials such as furniture, equipment and machines, with details about each material such as the receipt number and date, order number and others, and the authorized employee adds or deletes materials according to the official context.
- Electronic annual inventory program: It is linked to the warehouse inventory register program, and sends annual inventory reports at the end of each year accurately and on time.
Second: The employee job file system. It contains:
- All employees information archive program: It is a database for all employees in veterinary hospitals, including personal information, job information, and everything related to the employee. Each employee can access this information through a secret number to view his information archive, and he cannot change any information except upon request and through the administration.
- Continuing Education Program for Employees: It is a website for employees that can be accessed through a special secret number. It contains lectures that have been prepared in advance to develop employees medically, administratively, and legally, and it contains tests (exams) to evaluate employees.
Third: Epidemic Diseases Registration System. It includes:
- Epidemic Early Warning Program: This program receives epidemiological reports submitted by clinics and monitoring and investigation teams within the boundaries of the veterinary hospital. Then this program sorts and analyzes the data to provide early notice of the emergence of a disease focus and determines the mechanism for controlling it according to what this program has been programmed and according to the national plan prepared in advance.
- Epidemiological Map Program: This program draws a virtual epidemiological map and identifies epidemiological points according to the presence of animals and reports sent by veterinary teams and the epidemiological guard in the area.
The monitoring and investigation teams and the epidemiological guard affiliated with hospitals and veterinary clinics can send emergency or monthly electronic reports by opening this program, with ease, and receive the reports, sort them, analyze them, and display the results to the head of the epidemiological division or his authorized representative.
Fourth: Veterinary Technical Work System
This system collects data through monthly electronic reports on veterinary technical work in veterinary hospitals, clinics and the outpatient clinic department, which includes daily routine cases. This program analyzes this data in order to know the requirements of each clinic for medicines and supplies based on recurring diseases in that location. It notifies the stock department of this so that it has a complete picture of each clinic’s need for medicines and supplies.
All these systems are linked together to transfer the required information to the various administrative levels, whether in the governorate or at the country level. The central administration of the veterinary hospital also has an electronic interface for these systems, to follow up on the progress of work, direct orders and instructions, and solve problems.
