As part of its effort to ensure improved access to efficient healthcare delivery services across both the public and private sectors for Abuja residents, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has inaugurated a committee on in electronic health (e-health) policy in the territory.

Inaugurating the committee on behalf of the FCT Minister, the Secretary FCT Health and Human Services Dr. Demola Onakomaiya, said the proposed e-Health policy was intended to create multi sectorial mandates across public and private health care providers, to be backed by a comprehensive legal frame work that would facilitate hitch free implementation of the system.

He explained that the introduction of e-Health policy in the FTC would ensure efficient management of administrative, financial, and clinical aspects of healthcare as well as effective, planning, coordination, monitoring/evaluation and integration of health services across both the public and private sectors.

According a statement signed by Head, Public Relations Unit, HHSS, Badaru Yakasai, the Secretary recalled that in 2011 the Federal ministry of health at the first national conference on Information Communication Technology (ICT) for health, had urged all states of the federation including FCT to use ICT to transform healthcare delivery in order to ensure that Nigeria is not left behind in the emerging global trend.

Onakomaiya, however added that the policy was initiated by the FCT-MDG’s in 2009 in 13 primaries health care facilities, 12 public secondary health care facilities, 2 private hospitals and 24 Mailafiya teams but could not produce the desired impacts due to some organizational challenges.

“This necessitated the repackaging of the policy through the formation of the proposed e-Health policy and strategy implementation document in order to produce a complete policy guidelines and framework for all aspects of e-Health implementation towards achieving the vision of the Strategic Health Development Plan.

Responding on behalf of the committee members the Director Health Planning Research and Statistics Dr. M. B. Kawu, thanked the FCTA for nominating them to serve in the committee and promised to work within the stipulated time given to the committee to deliver its mandate.

By Stanley Onyekwere 

Peoples People Daily