With the advancement of technology and the Ministry’s efforts to improve the healthcare system by going digital, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, held its kick-off meeting on the development of Guyana’s Digital Health Strategy.
This initiative aims to enhance healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes, and streamline health services across the country.
The first consultation was held in the Boardroom of the Ministry of Health on Brickdam in the presence of Programme Directors and other senior officials from the Ministry of Health and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
During his brief remarks, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, disclosed that the Ministry is desirous of establishing a subdivision to manage Digital Health in the overall public health sector.
“Right now, we have eight programmes in the ministry and we want to add a ninth programme, and we thought that it’s important for us to add Digital Health as the ninth programme,” he explained.
Dr Anthony highlighted that this programme will comprise of telemedicine services, electronic health records, and the management of departmental activities, which includes tracking diseases and managing day-to-day tasks at the head office in Georgetown.
In closing, Minister Anthony emphasised that the strategy should have clear objectives and outcomes. “In the strategy, we have some very pragmatic kinds of targets. We need to have some objectives and outcomes that can enhance patients’ experience in a realistic time frame,” he stated.
