THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has exposed the flaws plaguing the computerised system at Regional Cancer Centre (RCC). According to the CAG report, the system could compromise the integrity of RCC and has resulted in incorrect data capture, ineligible credit and availing of leave, among other problems. The report has pointed out that lack of planning has created grave problems in the system. The institution witnesses transaction up to Rs 40 crore every year and is extremely vulnerable to fraud due to non-tallying of daily collection reports. According to the CAG report, the improper implementation of computerisation in the nursing department has resulted in ineligible payment of ` 34.59 lakh in salaries and total cost of ` 26.36 lakh in additional manpower. The review is not all brickbats and no bouquets, though. The report praises the commendable strides RCC has taken in integrating technology with service and lauds its good performance in computerised registration and Cancer Epidemiology and Clinical Research departments. However, it has brought to light many grave faults within the system, faults that could undermine RCC in the long run. The CAG report lists out the many failings of the computerised system at RCC. The foremost fault is the lack of proper IT planning and the absence of IT steering committees, which in turn have led to isolated system development, lacking focus on achieving optimum results. If a planning process had been in place, the relevant technologies could have been identified and evaluated in its proper context, opines the report. Currently, the Hospital Information System is not integrated with the financial and accounting software, leading to inconsistencies and complications. Another major drawback of the system at RCC is the absence of an User Requirement Specifications (URS). In the absence of URS, the extent to which the intended benefits of the computerisation were achieved could not be assessed, says the report. The institution is yet to put in place an information security and password system, by which a user name and password would be needed to access certain information. The CAG report fears that the RCC system could be an easy target for hackers. Further, the lack of complex passwords means there would be no reliable data on who accessed what information, muddling accountability. Flawed planning and the inability of RCC to implement safe technology practices have put the soft assets of the institution at risk of irreparable loss. As well as being a potentially easy target for hackers, the failure to effectively execute the computerisation policy has denied perfect service to patients and created inconsistencies and inefficiency in the comprehensive cancer treatment centre.
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