Medical errors: Patients commend FMC Keffi for adopting EMR
NAN-HG-6
Records
By Awayi Kuje
Keffi, (Nasarawa State), Feb.12, 2018 (NAN) Some patients have commended the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State, for adopting Electronic Medical Records (EMR) for efficient management of patient information.
But the patients appealed to the Federal Government to introduce the EMR to all hospitals across the country.
This was the views expressed by a cross section of patients on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Keffi.
They said that the importance of electronic record keeping cannot be over-emphasised in the development of the health sector as it has also eliminated time wasting.
Mrs Andoka Anthony, a resident and a patient, said since the introduction of the EMR in 2014 in the hospital, medical errors have been reduced and patients can easily access their information without wasting time.
She called for the provision of modern technology in keeping record in health facilities across the country considering the importance to the health sector.
Anthony also called on Record Keeping Officers across the country to embrace the use of Information Communication Technology in record management as their role is indispensable in the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria.
“There is clearly no alternative to embracing technology, hence the need for record officers in hospitals to key in to EMR, so as to migrate from paper based health records keeping to electronic health records management for effective service delivery,” she said.
She commended the management of the centre, under the leadership of Dr Joshua Giyan, for introducing EMR and called for it sustenance.
Another patient, Mr Abu Sani, said that EMR would develop the health sector and standardise its operations.
“Electronic medical records have lots of advantages which included the reduction in medical errors, patients’ information and time wasting, among others.
“I think more hospitals should key into it for quality service delivery,“ he said.
He also advised medical record officers who were yet to embrace modern technology to do so in their own interest and in the interest of the health sector.
NAN recalls that the centre was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Health, Dr Ehanire Osagie, on Jan. 31, 2016, with a 200KVA Solar energy for its operations.
Also on Sept. 13, 2017, the Medical Director, FMC, Keffi, Dr Joshua Giyan, advised other hospitals to key into the EMR initiatives. (NAN)
AKW/JIE/MST
Edited by Julius Enehikhuere/Muhammad Suleiman Tola