Gov’t exploring electronic medical records system

– President Ali

His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has said the Government is exploring the implementation of an electronic medical records system. The President described the move as a major shift in modernising the delivery of healthcare in Guyana.

President Ali was at the time delivering his address at the handing over ceremony of the Dr. Yesu Persaud Clinical Education Centre to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Saturday.

“We are discussing, right now, with the Indian High Commissioner the electronic medical records system that is from birth to death. Every citizen of the country will have an electronic management of their medical records,” President Ali said.

The system will be available countrywide and accessible both at public and private medical institutions.

“So, whether you move from Georgetown to West Demerara, you do not have to move thick layers of files, your health records are there in the system and can be accessed at the private level and at the public level,” President Ali stated.

However, it was highlighted that the initiative cannot happen without the requisite human resources. This is one of the reasons why the Government is advancing its plans to grant 20,000 scholarships countrywide in every field. President Ali said next year the Government will work to deliver the first 5,000 scholarships. The Government is currently in discussions with more than 10 universities around the word to realise these plans.