$689M contract signed to digitise patient records

The Ministry of Health has signed a contract with RioMed Limited, a UK-registered company, to develop and implement a new Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.

The contract, signed on Tuesday, will run for 18 months. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is providing US$3.3 million (GY 689 million) in funding for its implementation.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by RioMed Limited’s Managing Director, Mario Mohammed, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Malcolm Watkins.

This comprehensive new records system is being introduced at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) as part of the government’s efforts to phase out the existing paper-based system.

Once implemented, it will enable doctors and staff to track patients’ health records more accurately, leading to improved hospital management.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in the Ministry of Health’s boardroom on Brickdam, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony highlighted that the challenges associated with paper records would soon be a thing of the past.

“Despite our best efforts in managing records, we still have to search manually, and sometimes documents are not all in one place. As a result, patients sometimes have to wait for hours,” Minister Anthony noted.

He stated that the system would be rolled out in phases, with both patients and healthcare workers expected to see improvements as the transition progresses.

Ahead of implementation, new data security legislation was passed in the National Assembly to protect patients’ personal information, which will now be stored digitally.

In the event of a breach compromising patient data, strict penalties will be imposed on those responsible.

“If there is a breach, we want to ensure that when the perpetrator is caught, there is a suitable punishment,” the minister stated.

Individuals found guilty of breaching the system will face fines starting at $20 million, while corporate entities responsible for breaches will face fines starting at $100 million.

These stringent measures have been put in place to ensure that patients’ health information remains secure and confidential at all times.

Additionally, a unique identifier will be introduced in the future, to be issued to every citizen.

This identifier will make it easier for patients to access healthcare services whenever they visit GPHC for medical appointments.

Chief Executive Officer of GPHC, Robbie Rambarran, expressed satisfaction that the project is finally moving forward.

“We are pleased to have leaders who recognise the importance of such an initiative,” he stated.

Also present at the signing ceremony were the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, Jane Miller, and IDB representative Lorena Solórzano Salazar. (DPI)