Bawumia will inaugurate Ghana’s E-Health, the first electronic patient management system in Africa.
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is scheduled to introduce a significant digital initiative in the healthcare sector, known as E-Health, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
Under the leadership of the Akufo-Addo government, Vice President Bawumia has shown strong support for various innovative healthcare projects. These include the drone medical delivery service, which efficiently delivers medical supplies to remote regions, and the E-pharmacy digital platform, enabling online purchase of medications by Ghanaians.
E-Health will be the latest addition to these transformative initiatives in the healthcare sector. Bawumia has been alluding to a significant shift in Ghana’s healthcare delivery system, transitioning from manual to electronic record-keeping.
The introduction of the E-Health digital solution, a pioneering initiative in Africa, is being carried out by Lightwave e-Health Solutions in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. This innovative system aims to establish a comprehensive electronic medical record and patient management system, integrating Ghana’s Disease Surveillance Unit’s protocols.
Notably, patient records in teaching, regional, and district hospitals have been digitized under E-Health, with all hospitals now interconnected to facilitate seamless access to patient records electronically. Consequently, patients moving between hospitals will no longer need to physically carry their files.
E-Health complements the healthcare advancements in Ghana over the last seven years, such as providing ambulances to all constituencies, launching the drone medical delivery service, offering easier access to medications through E-pharmacy, and expanding public hospitals.
The introduction of this Health Information Management System signifies a pivotal moment in Ghana’s healthcare history, empowering healthcare professionals with real-time access to comprehensive patient records and improving patient safety through informed decision-making. Mahamudu Bawumia, the individual leading this effort, eagerly anticipates its official introduction with a positive outlook, emphasizing the anticipated benefits of the service on Ghana’s healthcare sector.
“In the future, patient medical records and history can be consolidated into a central database, accessible to networked hospitals when the patient seeks care.” The digitization initiative has enhanced operational efficiency, efficacy, and output in the provision of services at our healthcare institutions.
This is a significant issue of great importance. If Ghana were to implement this, it would become the first African nation to do so. There are only three countries in the world that have implemented this network, according to Dr. [Name]. Bawumia mentioned a few months ago during a health event in Tamale.
