The PGIM, a national institute attached to the University of Colombo, is the only organization responsible for the specialist training of medical doctors in Sri Lanka. The PGIM works in close collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Health and Faculties of Medicine of the Universities as well as with Professional Colleges. The PGIM is governed by a Board of Management. The academic programmes are planned and executed by 21 Boards of Study, including one in Multi-Disciplinary Study Courses. This Board of Study has 3 Speciality Boards, including that in Biomedical Informatics, set up in 2008.

The Speciality Board in Biomedical Informatics currently oversees the conduct of an MSc in Biomedical Informatics. Since the first batch of graduates of the MSc in Biomedical Informatics qualified and assumed duties as Medical Officers (Health Informatics)/Dental Surgeons (Health Informatics) in various institutions in the Ministry of Health in 2010, they have been responsible for a transformational change in the field of e-Health. The Ministry of Health recognised the immense contribution made by them and requested the PGIM to produce Specialists in the field with a view to creating future career prospects for them as Consultants/Specialists in the field and retaining their services for the benefit of Sri Lanka. The MD Programme in Health Informatics aims to equip health professionals with knowledge, skills and attitudes required to function as a Specialist in Health Informatics.

The course has been designed in a structured stepwise manner to develop participants’ competencies at a range of levels. The programme will also enable participants to design, deliver and evaluate interventions related to Health Informatics by applying scientific research principles. In a nutshell, this course is tailor-made for medical professionals who will in the future spearhead Information Communication Technology (ICT) transformation of the health care sector in Sri Lanka as Specialists in Health Informatics.

The overall objective of the MD Course is to develop knowledge skills and attitudes necessary to practice as a Specialist in Health Informatics in order to promote high quality and cost-effective health care delivery to the satisfaction of all stakeholders by facilitating efficient and effective use of health information using ICTs.

The qualification holder should be able to make judgments on complex issues in the field of Health Informatics and communicate his/her ideas, views and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist groups. He/she should also be able to exercise personal judgment and assume responsibility even in unpredictable situations in the professional environment.

At the end of the training programme the trainee should be able to:

1. play a lead-role in strengthening Health Information Systems and Health Information Management.
2. plan and coordinate with all relevant stakeholders and function as the main focal point for activities related to Health Informatics.
3. provide expert guidance to design, develop, implement, monitor and evaluate health related ICT projects.
4. assess and evaluate health information processes of the organisations and internal as well as external information needs on an on-going basis, and
5. provide leadership for education and training of health care professionals in Health Informatics.
6. serve as a trainer in health informatics

Prospective applicants must satisfy the following requirements to be eligible to enter the training programme:

a). MSc in Biomedical Informatics from the PGIM

OR

b). Any other Master’s Degree deemed to be equivalent to the MSc in Biomedical Informatics of the PGIM by the Board of Study.

AND

c). A minimum of one year’s experience as a Medical Officer/Dental Surgeon in Health Informatics in the state health sector or in case of non-state sector or foreign applicants, similar experience. The applicants should submit written evidence of experience to the Board of Study on a prescribed format for evaluation.

AND

d). Comply with any other general regulations of the PGIM relevant to selection of trainees.

Please refer to the relevant prospectus for the most up to date information. The prospectus of a particular programme contains official information pertaining to a programme approved by the Board of Management, University Senate and the University Grants Commission