MORE than 100,000 Guyanese children are set to benefit from life-long digital health records under the government’s expanding electronic healthcare system, as President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Saturday outlined a transformative shift towards proactive, data-driven healthcare delivery.
The Head of State made the announcement during commissioning of the new Outpatient Pavilion at Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital on East Street, Georgetown, where he detailed sweeping reforms aimed at modernising and future-proofing the national health sector.
The initiative builds on the January launch of the National Electronic Health Record System (NEHRS), a US$3.3 million project implemented through a contract with UK-based company RioMed Limited. The system is designed to significantly improve how patient information is accessed, managed and shared across public-health institutions nationwide, while eliminating inefficiencies associated with manual record-keeping.
According to President Ali, the integration of electronic health records and expanded screening initiatives have already resulted in tens of thousands of children having their baseline medical data securely stored, allowing for continuous tracking of their health throughout their lives.
“More than 100,000 children will now grow up in an environment where their baseline health data has already been captured and recorded to track them for the rest of their lives,” the President said.
“That is a new future our children will grow up in. That is the new norm.”
He explained that early capture of key health indicators will enhance monitoring, support faster diagnosis and enable more effective long-term treatment planning as children transition into adolescence and adulthood.
The initiative forms part of a broader nationwide rollout of electronic health records and digital health platforms aimed at reducing waiting times, eliminating administrative inefficiencies and strengthening preventive care.
President Ali emphasised that the approach signals a strategic shift from reactive to proactive healthcare delivery.
“We are building a healthcare system in which waiting times are reduced, shortages are eliminated and early detection becomes standard practice,” he said.
“These are the things that will make the difference long after all of us are gone. That is how we take Guyana safely, better and healthier into the future.”
The NEHRS is designed to operate as a fully paperless system, removing the need for patient cards and reducing administrative bottlenecks. Healthcare professionals will be able to access complete medical histories, medications and treatment plans in real time, ensuring seamless referrals and continuity of care across facilities.
The rollout will be conducted in phases, beginning with the Festival City Polyclinic, followed by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and eventually expanding to all public-health institutions across Guyana.
Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony noted that the system has been under development for more than a year, with extensive customisation to meet the specific operational realities of Guyana’s healthcare sector.
An accompanying mobile application is also expected to be introduced, enabling patients to book appointments online and securely access their health records from anywhere in the country.
To safeguard patient confidentiality, the government has implemented strict protections under the Data Protection Act, which carries penalties of up to $20 million for individuals and $100 million for institutions found guilty of unlawfully sharing personal data.
