E-governance: An important tool for fighting corruption

Throughout the world, governments are faced with the challenge of renovation and the need to reinvent government systems in order to deliver efficient and cost effective services via information and communication technologies. E-government is understood as the use of such technologies to promote more professional and successful government, more convenient government services, greater public access to information, and more government accountability to citizens, whereas governance is a wider term which covers the state’s institutional arrangements, decision making processes, implementation capacity and the relationship between government officials and the public. E-government can not only be viewed as a subset of e-governance, and its focus is largely on improving administrative efficiency and reducing corruption but can also result in huge cost saving to governments and citizens.

The topic of anti-corruption has recently generated generous academic interest. Each corrupt transaction requires a “buyer” and a “seller”. Eventually, all parts of society must share the responsibility for containing corruption because all are willing or unwilling participants. Corruption does have some common characteristics. For example, it occurs in all countries despite of the level of social and economic development. Regardless of this common characteristic, corruption takes on very different features from one place to another. Corruption flourishes in different places in different forms including: land rezoning, custom duties, income tax collection, non-merit based appointments, promotions, and many more.

The World Bank “Youth for Good Governance Programme” divides the corruption into two categories:

• Administrative Corruption: Corruption that alters the implementation of policies, such as getting a license even if you do not qualify for it.

• Political Corruption: Corruption that influences the formulation of laws, regulations, and policies.

In the broader way, the main types of corruption can be termed as:

• Bribery: An offer of money or favours to influence a public official.

• Nepotism: Favouritism shown by public officials to relatives or close friends.

• Fraud: Cheating the government through deceit.

• Embezzlement: Stealing money or other government property.

There are four basic domes in which action can be taken against corruption within a country:

Firstly, the basic institution of good governance needs to be strengthened. Judiciary is at the head of the list, which is itself the protector of laws and integrity. Secondly, the capability and integrity of law enforcement need to be improved. The best law has no value if it is not enforced. Thirdly, a government needs to put in place a solid set of protective tools. Codes of conduct and strong independent oversight bodies can help ensure that the acceptable standards of behavior are respected in both the private and public sector. Political leaders in all branches of government, legislative and judiciary can be required to have transparency in their own financial dealings through assets disclosure for themselves and their family members. Lastly, the public needs to be educated on the advantages of good governance and participate in promoting it. The public itself bears a large share of accountability for insisting on honesty and integrity in government. The public needs to learn: (a) not to let anybody buy their vote; (b) not to pay bribes; (c) to report corruption to the authorities; and (d) to teach their children the right values; e.g. that corruption is bad.

Even though there is no single solution in fighting corruption but every country has to examine its sole circumstances and come up with a widespread strategy, which should embrace the three pronged approach – deterrence, prevention and education. The employment of ICTs can bring more transparency into public administration and polities. E-governance has the potential to involve citizens in the governance process by engaging them in interaction with policymakers throughout the policy cycle and at all level of government.

Corruption in health system: The scale of problem

Health is a most significant global industry but, more than that, it is a global human right. The health sector is susceptible to abuse through diverse channels. Health system integrates various different actors in a complex web of relationships, which makes corruption difficult to identify where it exists. Corruption in the health system is broadly known both in developed and developing countries but widespread corruption in Pakistan is disquieting. According to the Transparency International, corruption may be defined as “the misuse of entrusted power for private gain” or “sale by government officials of government property for private gain”.

Corruption in the health division is not exclusive to any particular kind of health system. It occurs in systems whether they are principally public or private, technically simple or sophisticated, and sound funded or badly funded. The degree of corruption is, in part, an indication of the society in which it operates. Health system corruption is less expected in societies where there is broad obedience to the rule of law, transparency and trust, and where public sector is ruled by effective civil service codes and strong accountability mechanism.

Corruption in the health system is an anxiety in all countries, but it is particularly serious problem in developing countries like Pakistan. The number of features of health system corruption can be identified that includes: financial leakages, fraud, illegal fees, theft of supplies and equipments, over-invoicing, clever book keeping, selling public positions and bribes, failure to base decisions on evidence, etc. According to the cross country survey by Transparency International, the public gauging perceptions of corruption in public service shows that 95% of the study population perceives that the health system is corrupt in Pakistan.

The overall impact of corruption in health system on society and on individuals can be wide-ranging. We can differentiate between direct and indirect impacts, for example, tangible (material, health quality) and intangible (social, psychological), short term (price and quality) and long term (health system) impacts. Corruption not only reduces the resources effectively available for health, lowers the quality, equity, and effectiveness of healthcare services, but also decreases the volume and increases the cost of provided services. The list demonstrates the overall impact of corruption in healthcare on the society and on individuals.

·         Impact on health budget: Corruption in health system may lead to a non-optimal allocation of health budgets;

·         Impact on price: Corruption in health system may lead to a provision of services or procurement of equipment and drugs at above market prices;

·         Impact on access to health: Corruption in health system may threaten the goal of universal health coverage because as the price of healthcare increases, the accessibility decreases;

·         Impact on health quality: Corruption in health system may lead to low quality in the provision of healthcare services and a low quality in the provision of medical devices and pharmaceuticals;

·         Impact on markets: Corruption in health system may lead to various market distortions such as bad doctors driving out good doctors, bed suppliers driving out good suppliers;

·         Indirect impact on society: Corruption in health system may cause productivity loss through bad health; distrust in provisions of services by the government; distrust in the health system; and distrust in society as a whole;

·         Cross-border impacts: Corruption in health system may lead to brain drain of medical personnel;

According to the study carried out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) using data from 71 countries, shows that countries with high indices of corruption scientifically have higher rates of infant mortality. Reverting back to local setting, initially, preventing maltreatment and reducing corruption is a key to increase capital available for health, to make more efficient use of existing resources and, ultimately, to improve the general health status of the population. Before I finish, for promoting anti-corruption plan in Pakistan the government should ensure the law against corruption and the law should be enforced equally for everyone. An effective and efficient anti-corruption policy will result in great decline of corruption not only in health system but also all public sectors.

http://www.technologytimes.pk/Epaper.php?volume_number=05&issue_number=11&page=01&id=1

Rethinking GIS to enhance e-government services

The World Summit on the Information Society declared in the Geneva 2003 Plan of Action that all countries should aim “to connect all local and central government departments and establish websites and email address”.
GIS is used in a extensive range of public sector applications including, land use and urban growth planning, legislative districting, conservation, benchmarking human services, emergency management, environmental monitoring, humanitarian relief, natural disasters and public information services.
In brief, GIS along with ICT is being used increasingly to support the e-government strategies in developed and developing countries and is making an impact on the complex issues affecting human development in respective countries. GIS, a compound technology for governments to use it, relies closely on computerized map data that needs to show the key features of the area within the jurisdiction of the government.

http://technologytimes.pk/english-news.php?title=Rethinking%20GIS%20to%20enhance%20e-government%20services

Pakistan desperately needs IT-based health management system

• The facility based health information system is one of the most powerful tools for the planning and management of health services. In view of the existing vast health infrastructure, spread all over the country in terms of health facilities, services, staff, drugs and supplies etc. there has been a need to establish an efficient information system responding to the information needs of various decision making levels of the healthcare delivery system.
• The importance of a health management and information system cannot be ignored as health policies and planning in any country depends mostly on the correct and timely information on various health issues.

http://www.technologytimes.pk/english-news.php?title=Pakistan%20desperately%20needs%20IT-based%20health%20management%20system

Health Informatics – a turning point in health system

The need for education in health informatics is accredited by most countries that are involved in the introduction of technology in healthcare. A number of developing countries have recently undertaken structural reform to the healthcare information and delivery system; an important component of this reform is the establishment of reliable, timely and effective information systems. Additionally, health informatics is also a key element of the practice of evidenced-based medical education, students with a web based medical education can study more resourcefully and make sound judgments regarding the clinical problems they encounter during their practical life. The curriculum adopted in the conventional medical institutes of developed and developing countries is replaced by a number of new teaching methods that improve dynamic learning but unfortunately we are still stuck to the old traditional methods of teaching based on lectures and memorization. Presently large numbers of private and public medical institutes in Pakistan are still teaching by traditional methods whereas most of the medical institutes in the developed world are training their future physicians by latest teaching tools like evidenced-based and problem-based learning. Since health information and information management is not generally documented in Pakistan and this area has not been given the due attention among the health profession thus, it is essential that health informatics be considered as a tool for better healthcare and health system management and be promoted through education and training and introduction of health informatics in the health and biomedical education is of prime importance.

http://technologytimes.pk/english-news.php?title=Health%20Informatics%20%E2%80%93%20a%20turning%20point%20in%20health%20system

HIT: Fuelling decision, saving lives!

The deliverance of healthcare is changing globally. Policymakers, healthcare providers, supporting industries, and payers all are playing a significant function in the revolution of healthcare from the existing reactive mold to one that is personalized, predictive, preventive, and participatory. The union of systems’ loom to sickness, biomedical technology, imaging technology, and health information technology tools are building a learning healthcare system that applies healthy evidence-based medicine to manage optimal healthcare. An improved capability to recognize symptoms and risk factors, together with larger data capacity, has given a greater insight into the nature of many diseases.

http://technologytimes.pk/english-news.php?title=HIT:%20Fuelling%20decisions,%20saving%20lives!