Transforming public service through the use of technology, the Ministry of Health on Saturday morning launched the National Electronic Health Record (EHR) System at the Festival City Poly Clinic at North Ruimveldt. Georgetown.With a promise of efficient health services with faster care and innovation, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, explained that this pilot programme will reduce time wasting, the need for duplicate tests and improve diagnosis. This will be done by ensuring the doctors, the pharmacists, laboratory staff and others have access to the system to input information.During the opening ceremony, he said “all your records are going to be available to you so whatever is wrong, your records will be with you.”First, the HER system will be rolled out at the Poly Clinic, then at the Georgetown Public Hospital, and finally at all public health institutions. In the long term, the system will be integrated with the private sector, the Minister said.To guarantee privacy, a $20M fine is to be paid by the perpetrator who shares patient information without the patient’s knowledge.“People’s information must be kept confidentially,” the Minister said adding that this is covered in the Laws of Guyana and along with a $100M fine for the institution involved.Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Robbie Rambarran noted that it is an important moment for the patients, family members and caregivers to be able to access and deliver safer and timely care.“Patients at various clinics specialties have different records…and this results in poly pharmacy (different specialty will prescribe medications for different patients and because of the absence of an electronic medical record and these patients have a medical record for different medical specialty they go, then the physicians won’t know what medications they are on and…and posses a lot of challenges for the medical pratcitioners,” he explained.He noted that the Poly Clinic manages over 2,000 patients monthly.Not only will the practitioners have access to the HER system but with a mobile application to be lunched shortly, patients will also have access to their medical records.The EHR was developed at a cost of US$3.3 Million contract with RioMed Limited – a UK company.The post Seamless transfers, efficient diagnosis promised with National Electronic Health Record System appeared first on News Room Guyana.