Wow! How did we end up discussing ‘Information Dissemination’ in a topic about ‘Khaw’s Healthcare strategy’? Based on the arguments between Angelina and the others, one can deduce that there are two different lines of arguments here, and both are valid enough to take a closer look at. Angelina questions our super-high internet connectivity and why it is not able to do the job it is supposed to do, while others like mice is nice and inix ponders over whether the people handling the job are qualified enough. It is true that with better internet connectivity, one would expect better information management and dissemination. However, this is dependent upon the people who are responsible for data collection. From my own experience and from what I see around me in my workplace, I would agree more with inix and mice-is-nice. We can have the best systems, we can have the best link-ups and connectivity, but the data that the system works on, relies very much on who sits behind it providing all the required data. And these data have to come from those who work directly with infected patients – the doctors and nurses. And the doctors and nurses are so busy fighting the battle at the frontline, how are they to sit down and provide the data – which may change from one minute to another? In the case of H1N1, even expert opinions on its infectious intensity and whether it will mutate to a more lethal strain are divided. How then can anyone provide data that are not yet conclusive? It is like trying to catch water with your bare hands. You can’t. So instead of wasting time, resources and energy trying to draw up something in black and white over a virus that no one can clearly say for sure how mild or lethal it may be, or how it is going to evolve, isn’t it better to channel all these effort toward the battle at the frontlines? There is the added danger of providing the public with information that change from one minute to another because the information may become irrelevant after they are published – causing more confusion then help. If you ask me, I would rather sit on plastic white chairs, for hours if needed, to make sure that I do not have the virus (especially when I know I have been exposed to it). I can then sleep peacefully each night, knowing that my family and friends are safe from any transmission from me.