"Mobile Master" in Housing and Communal Services, Electronic Schools and Prescriptions. How Vitebsk Region Implements IT Technologies in All Areas
Today, changes in all spheres of life are occurring so rapidly that digitalization is no longer just a fashionable trend, but a tool and resource for survival and successful development of organizations of any scale and field of activity, including social ones.
Digital transformation of the economy means the implementation of information and communication technologies in all sectors to increase efficiency and competitiveness.
The organizers set themselves the task of showing with specific examples: today, it is impossible to do without immersion in the digital world, and it is necessary to adequately respond to such challenges.
— When we talk about digital transformation, many people think that this is a matter of the distant future. Like, maybe it will come to us someday, and we will somehow restructure. This is not the case; directors need to think about this right now and start implementing information technologies into production processes, — emphasized **Oleg Matskevich, First Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee**.
For this, businesses have all the necessary tools at their disposal: cloud technologies, the Internet of Things, Big Data, and artificial intelligence. It is no coincidence that the seminar was organized at the Vitebsk branch of RUP "Beltelecom" — an organization that, in the figurative expression of the branch director Dmitry Kazak, is a kind of transport for digital transformation.
— By laying fiber-optic communication lines, we are creating a "circulatory" system for the implementation of information and communication technologies, — he noted, promising to complete the connection of the multi-story residential sector to modern infrastructure in the Vitebsk region by the end of 2019, providing every resident with the opportunity to use GPON technology, and to continue developing private housing construction. And the most large-scale transformations will occur in the Orsha district, where it is planned to implement the "Smart City" concept in two stages by 2023.
TRANSFORMATION MODEL
In the near future, the digitized Orsha region will serve as a model for replicating the experience in other districts during the implementation of the IT country strategy.
According to Kirill Mintchenko, Chief Engineer of the Vitebsk branch of RUP "Beltelecom", the region has a developed infrastructure for transformation, in particular, 95% of the multi-apartment residential sector is equipped with fiber-optic networks. Digital transformation works are envisaged by the Program for the Development of the Orsha District for the period up to 2023.
In the first stage of the project (2019-2020), the "Smart City" subprogram and its implementation roadmap will be developed.
Approximately 1.8 million rubles will be allocated to finance the measures of the "Smart City" subprogram in the Orsha district.
During the same period, the implementation of the "Electronic School" and "Electronic Prescription" industry projects in the district will continue, and the creation of a geographic information system for integrated territorial planning and management is envisaged.
By the end of 2019, a pilot project for providing electronic services and performing administrative procedures on a "one-stop shop" principle will be implemented based on RUP "Belpochta". The project will allow citizens to receive all necessary services (replacement or obtaining documents, etc.) directly at local post offices.
In the second stage (2021-2023), it is planned to directly proceed with the implementation of the subprogram, when information innovations will affect all spheres of life.
In particular, a next-generation wireless communication test zone (5G) will be built to develop the Internet of Things, a public transport monitoring system will be launched, as well as a multifunctional city internet portal containing information about infrastructure and services.
In addition, an "Ecological Map" of Orsha will be created, a unified information system for calculating housing and communal and other services, an automated "Dispatch Service" system, and the "Mobile Master" application will be implemented.
MEDICINE OF THE FUTURE
A national electronic healthcare system is being created in Belarus. In the Vitebsk region, the development and implementation of elements of digital transformation in the industry have been ongoing for the past decade.
The ultimate goal is to connect all medical institutions into a single information network, which will allow diagnostics and treatment to be brought to a qualitatively new level, primarily by increasing the speed of delivery of complete and reliable information about the patient's health status to the attending physician.
Today, the centralized database of medical information contains data on approximately 800,000 residents of the region.
An important result of the work being carried out should be a reduction in the cost of medical services and savings in resources allocated to healthcare. According to the assessment of Yuri Derkach, Head of the Main Department for Healthcare of the Regional Executive Committee, the expected economic effect from the informatization of the industry is up to 10% of its total funding, which annually amounts to about 25% of the regional budget.
Work is being carried out in several directions at once. Internal business processes are being automated in healthcare institutions, and systems for automatic processing of diagnostic and laboratory research results are being implemented. Medical information databases on patients are being formed with subsequent centralization of data and ensuring access to them.
Information technologies will completely change the interaction between doctor and patient. This will happen through the implementation of an electronic medical record using a digital signature, remote diagnostics and appointment scheduling, electronic prescriptions, mobile solutions for home-based care and medical assistance, as well as software solutions for disease prevention and monitoring the effectiveness of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The transition to digital technologies allows for effective planning of drug supply, formation of state orders for medical devices, organization of therapeutic nutrition, and many other aspects, including the organization of preventive work for the next decade, taking into account population dynamics and disease risks.
According to Yuri Derkach, healthcare facilities are materially and technically ready to operate in a digital environment. Medical staff have undergone the necessary training. Therefore, after resolving organizational issues, particularly regarding provider selection, the Vitebsk region will be able to connect to the national electronic healthcare system within six months.
PERSONNEL FOR THE DIGITAL BREAKTHROUGH
Seminar participants paid special attention to improving the work of educational institutions, which are responsible for providing the digital economy with competent personnel.
— If we do not prepare young people for working in a digital environment today, they will be uncompetitive in the labor market tomorrow, — emphasized Vitaly Vovk, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Belarus — Inspector for the Vitebsk Region, addressing the managers.
By the end of 2019, up to 80% of educational institutions in the Vitebsk region will be involved in the "Electronic School" project.
Sergey Orekhov, Deputy Head of the Main Department for Education of the Regional Executive Committee, clarified that the remaining 20% will typically include small schools. The region is expected to be fully connected to the industry project by 2021.
In the Vitebsk region, over 52% of schools have implemented and are using digital services.
The material and technical equipment of educational institutions is also being improved, with the acquisition of interactive panels (multiboards), 3D printers, and small computer-controlled machines for students' technical creativity.
IT technologies are influencing changes in vocational education. For example, the Vitebsk State Vocational and Technical College of Mechanical Engineering named after M. Shmyrev is implementing the "Digital College" concept.
Using cloud services, a companion website has been created, hosting digital resources for academic subjects, a virtual teachers' room, materials from methodological commissions, as well as various cultural and educational projects, in which anyone can participate remotely.
In Polotsk State Economic College, a unified local network has been established, connecting the academic building and the dormitory, featuring wireless internet access via WiFi hotspots. This allows for the use of network resources through mobile devices.
At the same time, the issue of training teaching staff for work in the digital environment remains relevant.