How Technology can Boost Healthcare Delivery —Health Minister
Health Minister, Professor Isaac Adewole have stressed the importance of a comprehensive electronic health information management system that links all hospitals to boost healthcare delivery in Nigeria
Professor Adewole spoke at 58th annual Alexander Brown Hall, College of Medicine week symposium entitled “Using technology to Solve Nigeria’s Health Care problems” in Ibadan.
The Minister, represented by Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge, stated that a centralised electronic health information system will ensure easy access to the medical report for any patient, irrespective of the government’s tertiary hospital visited.
He declared that although there are over 50 medical tertiary healthcare centres in Nigeria, “it is appalling that they do not speak to each other by data or electronically.”
According to him “the issue of the electronic data system is still not one that we can be proud of; institutions have their local electronic medical record systems, but we do not have a conjoint national programme that will allow us speak to each other.”
While on telemedicine, the Minister stated that this is a technology that in the past had afforded specialty care to many people in the suburb even when the specialist doctor was not physically present.
According to him, networking the nation’s tertiary hospitals through telemedicine could also ensure tertiary hospitals tap into each other’s expertise to improve skills of health workers and patient care.
Chief Happiness Officer, Apnis Health Management System, Dr Simpa Dania, in a lecture entitled “Role of Technology in Solving Nigeria’s Healthcare,” said health care delivery is much more than hospitals, but a business whose efficiency could be improved through technology.
According to him, “The only place where technology has thrived is the business sector, so we must approach the healthcare the same way to get the results that we require.”
Dr Dania, noting that telemedicine is going to be more and more important in the healthcare system, declared that increased involvement of technology was imperative to ensure universal health coverage for all through its national health insurance scheme.
At the occasion, which had the grand finale of Professor I.F Adewole’s Hackathon, Mr Olugboyega Kolapo, Chairman, Alexander Brown Hall, said the competition was to encourage ideas and innovations to improve the healthcare system in Nigeria.
Source: Nigerian Tribune News
