Farombi launches Software for healthcare digitalisation
A Consultant Neurologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr. Temitope Farombi, has launched – Electronic Medical Records {EMR} software – OHEALTH- for healthcare digitalisation
The official launch took place at Penrise Event Centre, Bodija, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The event attracted many very important personalities from the medical practice, academia and from the government circle, including a deputation from the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi.
Online Health company (Ohealth), located in Bodija, 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
Speaking on the theme: ‘’Digitalising Healthcare in Nigeria ; Role of Private Sector Partnership’’, the Chief Medical Director {CMD} of UCH, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, stressed the need for the evolvement of policies that will bring about the digitalisation of healthcare delivery in the country.
Otegbayo, who was the key-note speaker at the event, was represented by a senior officer of the teaching hospital, Dr. Olusola Olawoye.
The CMD asserted that digitalising of healthcare records and delivery would enhance operational efficiency.
The chief medical director said: ‘’ Digitalisation of medical care and delivery is more desirable now. The importance of EMR software cannot be overemphasised. It improves operational efficiency. It ensures data-driven healthcare. It saves cost. It reduces patients’ waiting time. It makes healthcare delivery feedback easier and so on’’.
In his remarks, the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association {NMA}, Dr. Wale Lasisi, who was represented by his First Vice, Dr. Happy Adedapo , said in the ever changing, digitalisation in the medical practice is not negotiable. He stressed that the government must churn out policies to enhance the digitalisation of medical records and healthcare delivery.
The NMA chairman said: ‘’The world is gradually changing. Digitalisation is key. It will provide data for policy formulation. We need to digitalise healthcare. To do this, the government must support the system financially with improved budgetary allocation and bring about policies that will ensure that healthcare provision is digitalised’’.
Dr. Farombi, who is the visionary of Online Healthcare , said the project was created to address the problem of accessing medical history of patients.
The doctor ,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 digitisation of health care delivery and ensure that we go paperless in our health communication’’.
