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Palma.—New technology will enable all patient medical history to be stored on a single health card, the Balearic Islands' Ib-Salut confirmed yesterday.

Ib-Salut director Juan José Bestard and regional minister for Health, Family and Social Welfare Carmen Castro have recently presented the regional health programme which they want to see in place by the year 2020.

Both of them said that the technology will provide an entire medical history at the swipe of a card and will enable doctors to make informed decisions more quickly. “We need to establish precisely where the points will be at which the new cards can be read by medical staff,” Bestard said “and make sure we meet all necessary legal guidelines,” he added. Bestard said at the presentation that the intention is to replace the currently-existing 1'034'398 health cards by the end of 2013.

The new card, which will cost 10 euros, will have a photograph of the bearer in one corner and an electronic chip of the patient's clinical history. “The 10 euros pays the cost production,” Bestard said, “just like an I.D. card.” However, the system does mean that the regional health service will be earning 10 million euros from it.

He said that 7'000 swipe card readers will be installed in ambulances, health centres, hospitals, pharmacies and in private clinics which have agreements with Ib-Salut.