Health Ministry launches national Electronic Health Records system

– will reduce waiting times, improve efficiency – Dr Anthony

The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Saturday launched the National Electronic Health Record (EHR) System at the Festival City Polyclinic in North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, as part of efforts to modernise Guyana’s public healthcare system.
Speaking at the launch, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said that the introduction of the EHR system will significantly reduce long waiting times, eliminate lost medical files, and improve the overall patient experience within the public health system.

He explained that under the previous paper-based system, patients often spent hours waiting for their medical cards to be located, moved between departments, or re-created when records could not be found.
He noted that the movement of physical records between clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, and imaging departments often resulted in further delays, repeated visits, and, in some cases, lost information.
“Patients would come in, sit and wait while staff searched through files – sometimes finding the card quickly, sometimes taking a long time. In the meantime, the patient is waiting for hours. If you did blood tests, you often had to return another day, and when you came back, someone had to search through paper records again. If you took an X-ray and lost the film on your way home, you lost part of your medical record,” he explained.
According to Dr Anthony, the new digital system will centralise patient information, allowing records to be accessed instantly and securely in one place.
“With this paperless system, there will be no physical card. Staff can pull up your name on the computer in seconds, and you go straight to the doctor,” he said.
Dr Anthony explained that doctors will now enter findings electronically, and prescriptions will be sent directly to the pharmacy, allowing medication to be prepared in advance. Laboratory results and imaging, including X-rays, will be uploaded directly to a patient’s electronic record, eliminating the need for return visits simply to collect results.
The Minister also said the system will introduce online appointment booking, reducing overcrowding and unnecessary early arrivals at health facilities. He noted that relatives can assist elderly patients with online bookings where necessary.
The Health Minister recalled that in Guyana, the vision for digital health systems has been long-standing. “In the early 2000s, while serving as Head of the Health Sector Unit, we commissioned a consultant to examine how we could establish electronic health records in Guyana,” he revealed.
He added that the ambition to implement such a system has existed for many years, and the report from that initial study may still be found within Government records, noting the enduring commitment to modernising healthcare through digitalisation.
He highlighted the Government’s commitment to digitalisation as a key driver of productivity and innovation across the country, noting too that when countries embrace technology, innovation, and digital solutions, they are able to achieve significant advancements.

Upcoming launch of mobile app
Looking ahead, Dr Anthony said a mobile application will soon be launched, allowing patients to access their medical records directly on their smartphones. He added that the system will also benefit patients who seek care in both public and private health facilities.
“Sometimes patients move from the public to the private sector and don’t have their records,” he said. “With this system, you can access your information and take it with you, ensuring continuity of care.”
The EHR system, or eHEALTH, now rolled out and piloted at the polyclinic, will be rolled out later at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and eventually at all public health institutions. In the long term, the system will be integrated with the private sector, Dr Anthony said.
To guarantee privacy, a $20 million fine will be imposed on anyone who shares patient information without the patient’s knowledge. Institutions that breach confidentiality will face a fine of $100 million.
“We’ll work with the private sector to integrate this system so that, as a country, everybody’s record would be available. While technology allows greater access, there are also challenges. We like to keep our medical information private. One of the provisions in the law is that if anyone takes your information and shares it without your permission, they will be liable to a fine of 20 million Guyana dollars. And if an institution breaches confidentiality, the fine will be 100 million dollars. We are taking this issue of confidentiality very seriously – it is in the laws of Guyana to protect your data,” he said.
The initiative represents the 1st phase of implementation under the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Healthcare Network Strengthening Programme, the Health Ministry noted.