The Ministry of Health (MOH) launched today (Wednesday) the Electronic Surveillance System (TARASSUD), the Communicable Diseases (CD) Manual, and the National Framework on Preparedness and Response for Public Health Event Workshop. The launching ceremony was held at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque under the auspices of H.E. Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Saidi, Minister of Health, with the presence of H.E MOH and the concerned Ministries’ Undersecretaries, as well as the Directors Generals of Health Services and relevant authorities from the public and private sectors.

In his inaugural address, Dr. Saif Al Abri, the Director General of Diseases Surveillance & Control stated that the MOH represented by the Directorate General for Diseases Surveillance & Control (DGDSC) and the Directorate General of Information Technology (DGIT) established an electronic notification mechanism for CDs, Antimicrobial resistance, occupational injuries. The system is activated in the MOH health institutions that function with Al Shifa system. Moreover, the system will be activated soon in the rest of public and private health establishments through similar networks that allow for e-surveillance. 

The IT director general Mr. Abdullah Al Raqadi emphasized in the launching ceremony that the DGIT in collaboration with the DGDSC has designed and implemented the e- TARASSUD which  is concerned with various diseases reporting and surveillance from the 102 Al Shifa’ +3 healthcare institutions. In addition, the system allows the different insinuations with no network connection or those with different hardware copies to report on other cases electronically through the internet application that is available in the Governorates’ Directorate Generals by the concerned authorities.

Al Raqadi added that TARASSUD is set up on a central base connected integrally with Al Shifa system in order to facilitate the monitoring process for all medical cases and the various diseases enlisted within the Surveillance domain. Furthermore, TARASSUD is linked with the morbidity medical diagnosis in which a screen will be automatically opened where the situation demanded the treating physician to report any case without the need to log in to other notification systems. This feature makes the notification process faster and updates the decision makers at the DGDSC.

The Ministry further launched the national framework on preparedness & Response for public health events that was among the core requirements during the Joint External Evaluation of IHR 2005 that the Sultanate conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) East Mediterranean Region. This framework serves the coordination process in the different specialties existed within the MOH and other concerned sectors.

Moreover, the ceremony included the launching of the CD Manual-3^rd edition, which is a scientific reference for those specialized in the CDs management and public health events. The manual addresses each disease separately from its various aspects whether diagnostic or preventive as well as infection control activities and required procedures. The 3^rd edition was based on the recommendations issued by the international authorities and organizations.     

During the event, the first edition of the Public Health Quarterly Newsletter was launched. The Newsletter is prepared by the DGDSC that will publish periodical reports of public health events and it is hoped to be a platform for public health for all the Sultanate sectors.