FG to digitise medical records for better health care delivery

The Federal Government is to reposition the health sector for better service delivery. Consequently, it has concluded plans to digitise operations and roll out a national electronic medical record platform to engender reliable data for effective services to the people.

Addressing a conference yesterday in Abuja, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate, promised that the government would mobilise private capital to develop physical infrastructure, equipment and human resources with a view to restoring confidence in the health care system and discouraging Nigerians from seeking medical treatment abroad.

His words: “We need to ensure that our hospitals function better so that our people will have confidence in our health system. We need to address the problem of the healthcare workforce. We will transform our human resources. We will grow the pipeline of medical workers in the country, and retain existing talents to limit the effects of emigration.”

The minister said as part of efforts to address strikes in the sector, he, along with the Minister of State and permanent secretary in the ministry, had met with four of the professional associations to review pressing issues and rebuild trust in the profession.

Stating that Nigeria has over 400,000 health workers, the minister, again, admitted that the nation’s doctor ratio to population still falls below the World Health Organisation (WHO) benchmark, hence the need to train more professionals.

Pate pledged that the government would strengthen health security for outbreaks to be effectively tackled. He reminded state governments of their critical role in advancing the sector.
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We need to improve the quality of governance in health so that there will be a way to appraise performance, reduce political interference and strengthen inclusion. Health can be a basis for reunifying this country,” he added.

Earlier, the Minister of State for Health, Tunji Alausa, stressed the need to overhaul research centres nationwide. He pointed out that the rising cases of communicable diseases call for concern. Alausa canvassed proper regulation of the health care system for accountability