To digitize the nation’s healthcare system, the federal government has unveiled a road map that calls for the installation of electronic health records, or EHRs, in all 1,691 healthcare facilities. By 2030, the program is anticipated to generate thousands of jobs and unlock billions of savings.
This was said by Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, at a national stakeholder roundtable on digital health, accessed by BrandSpur local news brand in Abuja.
Nigeria has a vision to revolutionize its healthcare service through digitization, according to Dr. Alausa, who was speaking on behalf of Dr. Leke Ojewale, the Minister of State for Health, as Senior Technical Adviser on Digital Health.
According to him: “The current state of Nigeria’s health system presents an opportunity for digital transformation, as the country stands to gain significant economic and public health benefits through digitization.”
“We could achieve 10 to 15 percent efficiency gains in healthcare, which would translate to about 3.3 billion dollars in savings by 2030, additionally, digital health could also create 250,000 direct and indirect jobs across Africa in the same year, with Nigeria poised to play a leading role in this ecosystem,” Dr. Alausa added.
Dr. Marelize Gorgens, a senior specialist from the World Bank, emphasized that digitalization was essential to resolving the issues that have beset Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
Digital tools, she pointed out, might enhance emergency response operations, revealing: “In the future, patients will be able to access their critical health information, such as blood type and emergency contacts, in urgent situations, this will save lives and improve efficiency in healthcare.”
Dr. Pamela Ajayi, President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, emphasized the need for creative approaches to tackle Nigeria’s health issues, such as the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnostics, which could close the healthcare gap for underserved rural communities.
