By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), University College Hospital (UCH), Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, and a Consultant Neurologist in the hospital, Dr. Temitope Farombi, have called on the federal government to formulate policies and build infrastructure to ensure the digitalisation of healthcare in the country.
The duo made the call during the official launch of health Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software (Ohealth), with the theme: ‘’Digitalising Healthcare in Nigeria; Role of Private Sector Partnership’’, held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Otegbayo, who was the keynote speaker at the event, was represented by a senior officer of the teaching hospital, Dr. Olusola Olawoye.
Ohealth is a telemedicine company dedicated to providing quality health care services through a proficient online medical platform that gives patients easy access to qualified and professional doctors for quality healthcare delivery.
Otegbayo while highlighting the importance of digitalising of healthcare listed the benefits saying ‘’It enhances patients’ care,1 improves operational efficiency, ensures data-driven healthcare, saves cost, ensures technological advancement, reduces patients’ waiting time, and makes healthcare delivery feedback easier.’’
Farombi, who is the visionary of Online Healthcare said the project was created to address the problem of accessing medical history of patients.
She, however, urged the government to evolve policies and provide facilities that would enable the digitisation of healthcare delivery.
She said, ‘’I will advise the government not just to pay lip service to digitalization of the health care system. But to take the right steps and ensure that appropriate infrastructure such stable electricity and alternative power like solar power is made available.
“Secondly, the government must be able to create policies for data management and implementation of digitization of health care delivery and ensure that we go paperless in our health communication.”
