Posted on: Wed 25-02-2026

 

L–R: Babatunde Fadeyi, Vice President, Health Ecosystem (Public Sector), Interswitch, in a handshake with Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, Honourable Commissioner for Health, Abia State; and Dr Ifeyinwa Blossom Uma-Kalu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Abia State, at the high-level stakeholders’ engagement between the Abia State Ministry of Health and Interswitch, ahead of the pilot phase of the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) project, in Umuahia.

 

In Abia State, a bold partnership between Interswitch and the state government is paving the way for a modern, digitally enabled public healthcare system. By harnessing innovative technology, the collaboration seeks to streamline care, improve operational efficiency, and ensure patients and healthcare workers alike benefit from seamless, secure access to medical information.

The initiative formally kicked off in Umuahia, where top government officials, health administrators, and technology experts gathered to align on the deployment of eClinic, an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) platform developed by Interswitch. 

Notably, eClinic will be strategically implemented across the state’s public health facilities, primary healthcare centres, secondary hospitals, and tertiary facilities This design mirrors how patients navigate the system, ensuring continuity of care and enabling informed clinical decision-making at every level. Beyond digitising records, the focus is on solving real operational challenges, reducing waiting times, preventing duplicate records, and strengthening referrals between facilities.

During technical sessions, stakeholders explored the capabilities of the eClinic platform. From secure patient record management and ICD-11–compliant diagnosis coding to integrated billing and reporting, the system is tailored for public-sector realities. Its hybrid infrastructure allows local hosting with cloud-based backup, ensuring data security, continuity, and resilience, even in challenging operating environments. Furthermore, discussions emphasised governance, training, and change management, acknowledging that successful healthcare transformation relies on people as much as technology.

Central to the discussions was a shared vision that healthcare works best when information flows smoothly. For the Abia State Government, the pilot represents a strategic lever within its broader healthcare reform agenda. Officials highlighted how the platform can enhance accountability, resource optimisation, and service delivery, particularly in critical areas like maternal and infant health, where timely, accurate information can be lifesaving. Telemedicine capabilities also promise to extend specialist care to remote communities without delays, while keeping patient histories accessible across facilities.

Speaking at the engagement, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, Commissioner for Health, Abia State, described the initiative as a key deliverable for the state’s healthcare modernisation, emphasising the importance of private-sector collaboration in achieving sustainable impact. Similarly, Dr. Ifeyinwa Blossom Uma-Kalu, Permanent Secretary, highlighted the potential to strengthen referrals, improve revenue tracking, and expand access to specialist care.

From Interswitch’s perspective, the deployment reflects a commitment to measurable impact through digital public-sector solutions. Babatunde Fadeyi, Vice President, Health Ecosystem (Public Sector), Interswitch, noted that the platform automates workflows, enhances revenue visibility, and equips healthcare managers with actionable insights, all while improving patient experience and ensuring operational accountability.

Sustainability and scalability were recurring themes throughout the engagement. Both entities have begun considering long-term factors, including power stability, inter-agency collaboration, and user adoption strategies, to ensure the pilot delivers lasting benefits.

Abia State joins other Nigerian states such as Osun, Ogun, Edo, and Enugu, where eClinic has been successfully deployed, demonstrating its flexibility and readiness for scale. As implementation begins, the pilot offers a critical proof of concept, showing how thoughtful public-private partnerships can transform digital ambition into viable improvements in patient care, staff efficiency, and healthcare delivery outcomes.

When medical records work seamlessly across systems, securely, intelligently, and at scale, the real impact is felt by patients. In Abia State, Interswitch’s eClinic pilot marks the beginning of a more connected, data-driven era for public healthcare.

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