DEVELOPMENT OF GEOSPATIAL DATABASE OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTERS WITHIN BAUCHI METROPOLIS

Abstract

Manual healthcare record management system cannot provide necessary support for healthcare growth, as it is operationally and financially expensive to manage health information using manual record management system due to inadequate security for data and information, exposed to unauthorized modification, inadequate access control to data and difficulties in data compilation using the manual operations. This realization led to the utilization of geographic information system (GIS) in this study as an approach aimed to resolve the problems and improve the situation for health motives. The aim of this study is the development of geospatial database of primary healthcare within Bauchi metropolis. The methodologies adapted were the determination of coordinates, digitization of maps, and relational database creation. The data were analyzed using percentage nearest neighbor ratio (NNR) in Arc GIS analysis tools. The results obtained was thirty (30) public healthcare centers within eleven (11) ward in the metropolis which depicted random distribution patterns. Geospatial database was developed using healthcare information system. This led to results on function for editing, update and retrieval of healthcare information in faster and easier ways. It is therefore recommended that the authorities concerned with the collection and management of spatial and public healthcare information system should adopt this for proper management in the Bauchi metropolis and the state at large.