Use ICT for quality health care delivery

Stakeholders in the health sector drawn from the three Northern Regions in Ghana have attended a day’s workshop on the use of Information Communication Technology in managing patient’s data for effective health delivery system in Ghana.

The workshop sought to build the capacities of the participants on how to use ICT as a tool for collecting community information; linking health care professionals and enhancing health administration.

Presenting a paper on a review of Ghana’s ICT4AD Policy-Pillar 9, which concentrates on using ICT in managing patients data for effective health system in Ghana, Mr. Hassan Hamadu (profile on iConnect) Upper East Regional ICT Coordinator at the National Health Insurance Authority underscored the need for ICT education to be made mandatory to all health professionals whose services are indispensable in nation building.

He challenged health professionals in the country particularly Doctors to go beyond folders and automate patients’ data to ensure quick recovery when necessary.

He mentioned longer waiting time, inaccurate data, multiple folders or ID cards, lost history and labour intensive as some of the major challenges associated with the manual system of collecting and processing health data, hence the need to shift from that paradigm.

The Upper East regional ICT Coordinator at the National Health Insurance Authority encouraged authorities of all referral health facilities to have their own Local Area Networks and some form of database and internet connectivity.

Mr. Hassan Hamadu further called for regular refresher courses for health workers to enhance closer collaboration between stakeholders in the health sector.

This in his estimation will ensure the judicious use of public resources to promote quality health care delivery in Ghana.

The workshop was spearheaded by the Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS) in collaboration with the Savannah Signatures, a Non Governmental Organization which is promoting the study of ICT in Northern Ghana.

Source: Citi FM
By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/Citifmonline. com/Ghana
Link: http://citifmonline.com/index.php?id=1.287153.1.580348