-testing phase ongoing, system to go live next year

MINISTER of Health Dr Frank Anthony, has noted that work is advancing on the implementation of an Electronic Health Records system (EHR) here, with the first phase underway at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The health minister made this known during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, during which he stated that the project remains on track for rollout in 2026.

Dr Anthony explained that the groundwork for the digital transition is actively being completed.

“So, we have started this project at the Georgetown Hospital. That’s where we have most of our patients, and they have been working on configuring the software to customise it to a Guyana context, customising the servers so we would be ready in the first quarter of next year to start rolling out the actual electronic health record,” he said.

The minister noted that the system will not be introduced through a phased approach throughout the departments of the hospital. “Now what we’re doing is not all departments would be connected at the same time. So, they’ll be doing it in a phased way, department by department,” he explained.

To support this transition, staff at the hospital have begun training using a simulated version of the software.

“They have created what they call a sandbox where the staff of the hospital can go in and learn how this thing works, if they make mistakes… what to do with software,” Dr Anthony said.

He added that this training environment allows staff to gain hands-on experience before the system goes live.

The ‘sandbox,’ he noted, will be introduced fully in the coming weeks, and as such, he expressed optimism that the rollout will be seamless.

Meanwhile, as part of the broader digital health agenda, the ministry is preparing to officially launch the online appointment system at the Festival City Polyclinic before the end of December.

With this system, the health minister explained that “people would be able to go online, go on their phone, use an app, make an appointment, come in and see the doctor, that sort of thing.”

This system, he noted, will eventually be linked to the outpatient department at GPHC.

In addition to software upgrades, the ministry is also investing in technical capacity to ensure smooth implementation and maintenance.

This week, Dr Anthony revealed that the ministry will also be launching another programme related to digital health, in which he said they will be training around 60 persons to operate in technical roles as part of the system.

These trainees, he said, will come from various regions across Guyana, reflecting plans to expand the electronic health record system beyond Georgetown.

“We anticipate that when we complete the rollout of Georgetown Hospital, we’ll go to the other hospitals. So, you’ll need people trained in this area,” the minister added.

In March, the ministry signed a US$3.3 million contract with RioMed Limited out of the United Kingdom for the implementation of a national electronic health record system.

During that time, it was noted that the contract duration was set for 18 months. However, a ‘big-bang’ approach would not be taken as deliverables would be realised before the end of that time frame.

That was reportedly the first phase of the programme, and upon completion, other phases would be embarked upon as the intention is to have the EHR system cover all facilities across Guyana.