Technology

Paperless Hospitals — A Desired Novelty

Public health facilities in Ghana are to be digitised over the next three years, with patients’ particulars being captured on computers at hospitals to replace the hard folder system.

This was made known by the Health Minister, Mr. Kwaku Agyeman Manu, on Thursday May 16, 2019, during his turn at the “Meet-the-Press” programme at the Ministry of Information.

He disclosed that patients’ particulars captured at one hospital could also be captured at other hospitals in the country.

The Minister added that already, as part of a pilot study, 28 health facilities in the Central Region have been migrated onto the computer system. This is, indeed, a welcome piece of information which must gladden the hearts of patients.

This is because in some of our hospitals, there have been instances in which patients’ folders got “lost” at the records section. This necessitated the issuance of new folders.

The Chronicle finds this very dangerous, because doctors rely on the health history of patients from their old folders to continue with treatment, thus, in the absence of the old folders, they may find it difficult to prescribe the right medication.

The situation becomes more difficult if the unfortunate patients have had lab tests, with the results being recorded in their missing old folders.

Against this background, the paper highly commends Mr. Kwaku Agyemang Manu on this novelty, and urges him to fast-track its implementation to save patients from falling victim to such a life-threatening trend of missing folders..

We also send a word of admonition to health workers at the records sections, and others who constantly come in contact patients’ folders to be extra cautious in handling them.

The Chronicle is also worried about how former President Mr. John Mahama has been attacking the integrity of the Electoral Commissioner (EC), Mrs. Jean Mensah.

During an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Mr. Mahama was reported to have observed that “the posture of the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, does not indicate that she will be neutral in the 2020 polls.”

There is an Akan proverb that posits: “Atwamene biara suro ayaya nna” (every throat cutter dreads lying down with the face upwards). It was an open secret that the former Electoral Commissioner, Charlotte Osei, who was appointed by Mr. Mahama, was his idol, on who Mr. Mahama was, indeed, relying for victory in the 2016 elections.

The Chronicle’s observation is that Mr. Mahama definitely knows that in the face of good governance by President Akufo-Addo, he does not have a dog’s chance of cleanly winning the 2020 elections. Hence, his burning and relentless agenda of dis-crediting the EC boss, a clear case of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.

By this unpatriotic agenda against Jean Mensah, Mr. Mahama hopes to put the blame on her when he loses the 2020 polls, which is definite, anyway.

The Chronicle dutifully admonishes Mr. Mahama to concern himself with his own manifesto and campaign on it to convince Ghanaians that he can do better than President Akufo-Addo, if re-elected to occupy the Presidency.

Observers believe that Mr. Mahama’s constant attacks on Jean Mensa will result in loss of votes in the 2020 elections, which will be more devastating and humiliating than that suffered by him in the 2016 elections.

We sincerely believe that the former President is capable of winning back the Presidency, if only he effectively campaigns on his manifesto to convince Ghanaians that, indeed, he can do better than President Akufo-Addo.

Source:peacefmonline.com

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