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Digital medical records on the horizon – Health Minister
…says legislation to be updated to facilitate transition
Kaieteur News – With some $84.9B budgeted for the Ministry of Health this year, subject Minister Dr. Frank Anthony disclosed that efforts will be made to amend the legislation to allow for medical records to be held digitally.
Dr. Anthony, during a panel discussion on Budget 2023 Thursday, said the allocation is in keeping with the president’s vision of creating a world-class healthcare system in Guyana.
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony
The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that a host of infrastructural developments is expected to be seen in the health sector this year, including the establishment of several new hospitals and major upgrades to existing facilities.
According to Dr. Frank Anthony, “Later this year, we will start putting in the infrastructure to do electronic health records. We will be going to parliament to address the legislation, and to make sure people’s records are held properly and confidentially. So, you would see a total rollout of systems that will allow for faster access of records, but at the same time, you must maintain people’s privacy with these records.”
The Minister said that the facilities in the country are not enough and must be improved. According to him, “In the health sector, we have had that opportunity to provide a better quality of healthcare. In the public sector, we have more than 420 different facilities and we feel that some of these facilities, especially at the hospital level it is not enough, and one of the discussions that we have had is how do we improve hospital facilities.”
This year, construction will commence on the six new regional hospitals in various parts of the country, the contracts for which were awarded last year.
This year’s Budget allocates funds for substantial improvement in the hinterland hospitals. Lethem, for example with see major upgrades the Minister assured. The Mabaruma, Moruca, Kamarang and Kato hospitals will also see improvements. A new hospital is also slated to be constructed at Mahdia and Bartica.
Emphasis will also be placed on the new referral hospitals, and a 256-bed maternal and child health hospital with the capability to do pediatric cardiac surgeries and other specialty services, and care for patients.
“We want to aim to be a world-class provider of healthcare services, the only way we would be able to do that, we have to build more level five hospitals,” the Health Minister pointed out.
Work will also be done to have digital medical imaging like CT scans, mammograms, teleradiology, telepathology, and teleophthalmology, which will be linked to the interior of Guyana. Primary healthcare will also see some changes in protocols and the introduction of newer, more effective medication for common diseases in Guyana.
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