13th August, 2010
The Lagos State Government, acknowledging the need for adequate health information storage and delivery embarked upon the e-Health project; the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Science is implementing an Interactive Hospital Information System Software & Technology in some of the State owned hospital facilities. Governor Fashola championed the electronic charting for Lagos State government health system which was to start with a pilot scheme at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH), Ikeja.
The Lagos State Health Management Information System (HMIS) project is a broad-based modular Hospital Administration System Database solution that allows the operational procedures and stream of patients in a health facility to be coordinated thus ensuring prompt and effective healthcare delivery.
The project, which is in furtherance of the state government’s vision of promoting effective service delivery, is being put into operation in phases to involve all state owned secondary and tertiary health facilities.
The pilot phase commenced fully on 5 January 2009 at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH), General Hospitals Isolo and Lagos and is currently in its second phase which involves the General Hospitals in Alimosho, Badagry, Ikorodu, Epe, Somolu, Surulere, Gbagada, Orile Agege, Ajeromi and Lagos Island Maternity Hospital. This system that has been in place should ensure that any patient in a Lagos State hospital will be registered on a central computer server with the information readily available to the doctors treating a patient, who will have simultaneous access to the up-to-date medical records and treatment information.
The links to the diagnostic modules ensures doctors online can order tests while results can be returned via the same channel. Critical minutes saved by this prompt information availability will save a lot of lives as will be shown in statistical data to be maintained.
There is a complete billing system incorporated into the structure that will ensure proper accounting and transparency. When a patient arrives at a department in LASUTH, for instance and has been identified as needing some services, the patient or person accompanying him or her will be given a bank teller with the details of service to be rendered and the cost.
This teller is now presented at the stipulated bank where payment is made. This way, it is unnecessary for staff to handle the funds and reduces risk of theft or loss. The reporting and statistics has also been built in and will be able to conform to international standards. The solution is web based and is being complemented with a wide area computer network linking all the hospitals.