With particular focus on rural health units (RHUs), DCI and Salus want to address the challenges that health units in the country face through building an infrastructure that would enable them to provide support to such health units. 'Medicines are often lost to pilferage and neglect,' said Andrew Guitarte, executive vice president and chief operating officer at DCI, adding that with only one health-care provider for every 266 Filipinos today, the health-care system of the Philippines really should be addressed on the macro level.

Chris Stolk, president of Salus Health Informatics, is quick to add, however, that the country's health-care system is not in crisis yet because the ratio of hospital beds and doctors to patients is not that bad. 'The Philippines actually has twice more (hospital) beds than in the U.S.,' he said, referring to the ratio of one hospital bed for every 400 Filipinos. What this partnership wants to do, though, is try to address issues proactively, said Stolk, because although Philippine health care is not in crisis yet, it definitely needs improvement.

Stolk refused to give out any specific details about the project as they still have to be finalized, but he said that there will be consultations and training, especially to educate rural health-care providers about the technology to be provided by Salus. 'The partnership with DCI positions our teams to be able to provide the necessary systems and support to allow our clients to do more with their limited resources,' said Stolk.

The initial focus will be technology-enabling public hospitals and RHUs, said Guitarte, adding that, with the technology in place, many processes will be automated, making health-care providers available to address the needs of their patients. This project will be of relevant timing, Guitarte believes, especially now that more students study to become nurses abroad and the country continues to experience a brain drain as many doctors also choose to study nursing to work in other countries.

Eyeing a partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), DCI's Guitarte said they are still finalizing plans with the government health-care arm, as they want to cover most, if not all, 41,000 RHUs. 'We are looking at a period of five years or more, starting this year,' he said.