The University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo State has stressed the need for technology to be holistically adopted in order to transform the delivery of healthcare in the country.

According to the first specialised medical institution, during the induction and oath-taking ceremony of 51 graduands of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, digital technologies would improve the quality of care and reduce disparity in healthcare accessibility, especially through telemedicine, among others.

Speaking at the Odosida Campus of the University in a lecture titled “Transforming Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria using Digital Technology: The Pivotal Role of Medical Laboratory Scientists,” the guest lecturer at the induction ceremony, Prof. Evarista Osime of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Benin, said, “Digital technology can facilitate access to services, the personalisation and humanisation of treatments, and increase the efficiency of services and patient satisfaction.”

Prof. Osime added that embracing digital technology in healthcare delivery had become a reality nobody could avoid any longer, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said, “The COVID-19 pandemic was a major disruption for clinical laboratories that highlighted the necessity of digital transformation and its acceleration. This digital maturity requires establishing connectivity, end-to-end workflow, and advanced analytical technologies and techniques.”

Prof. Osime listed key components of digital technology that the country needs to embrace to transform healthcare delivery, including telemedicine, data analytics, artificial intelligence, electronic health records, and wearable devices.

She emphasised that despite the attendant challenges that may affect the deployment of digital technology in healthcare delivery, “embracing digital technologies by laboratory scientists can enhance diagnostic accuracy and speed, increase operational efficiency, support personalised medicine, and foster collaborative research and innovation.”

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, represented by the Chairman, Committee of Deans, Professor Ezekiel Adebayo, stressed that “digital technology cannot be ignored in healthcare delivery. It is the way to go if the nation wants to deliver the best healthcare.”

He congratulated the inductees and enjoined them to be good ambassadors of the institution.

The Registrar and CEO, Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, also congratulated the inductees on the successful completion of their program and admonished them to uphold the ethics of the profession in their practice.