Hi,
I would like to thank everyone for contributing to this discussion. I can see how there are arguments for and against biometrics.
At the end of the day... and the crux of my initial question remains "how do we uniquely ID a patient" given the geographic and cultural context of PNG. The idea of issuing an ID card is a good one - but cards get stolen or are lost. The idea of using a finger print appeals to us because this travels everywhere with a person.
Whilst some of you are fortunate to work in countries where governments have solved this problem by way of a social security number or national ID card - in PNG this is not the case. The intro of a PUID remains an inherent and mandatory element for any HIS.
I remain curious... whether any one out there has been faced with a similar challenge (PUID) and what they discovered in the process.
Regards,
Robert