Local health system goes digital, as US$3.3M EHR deal signed

…persons can be fined $10M, jailed for leaking medical records

The Health Ministry and RioMed Limited have officially signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) System, valued at US$3.3 million.
The system will integrate vital health information, including patients’ medical histories, diagnoses, medications, treatments, and test results.
RioMed Limited, a company registered in the United Kingdom (UK), has been awarded a contract to develop and implement an EHR System in Guyana. The duration of this contract will be 18 months, during which the system will be rolled out in an initial phase at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and its satellite clinics. Deliverables will be realised throughout the contract period.
The system will be available to all health facilities in Guyana, with over 400 health centres set to gain access to it. The software being implemented is a fully customisable solution, which means that the Ministry of Health can tailor it to suit their specific requirements.
The system is designed to integrate not only with the Health Ministry’s current systems but also with future ones.

Among its many objectives, the EHR system will aim to reduce waiting times at hospitals, improve overall national health outcomes, and enhance the management of all health facilities. This includes improving the management of personnel, inventory, and data.
Speaking during the signing of the memorandum event on Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPHC, Robbie Rambarran, revealed that the implementation of this EHR system will enable health services to transition from traditional paper-based processes to streamlined digital solutions that empower clinicians, improve patient outcomes, and enhance the overall experience for everyone who entrusts them with their care.
He also added that this will aid in keeping patient files easily accessible.
“What happens at the various clinics currently is that, because we have a paper-based system, if a patient is going to different clinics, they have separate records. And the separate records, because of the paper-based system, are obviously not integrated…physicians may not know the full history, and sometimes patients would not give doctors their complete medical history. This can lead to prescriptions for drugs that may conflict with medications prescribed by another specialist.”
He further added that this system will allow patients to access their files at all clinics.
“With this EMR, it will be integrated at all clinics. If a patient visits different clinics, all the records will be integrated, and physicians will be able to see who is managing the patient.

This will enable better communication and a more integrated, multidisciplinary approach to managing patients.”
Meanwhile, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony revealed that strict measures will be put in place for those found breaching the system.
“We have also started working on new legislation regarding data security. We went to Parliament, and new legislation on data security was passed. Now that we are storing people’s data in an electronic format, there is a risk of breaches—although not easily done, some may attempt to breach the system. If there is a breach, we want to ensure that those responsible face suitable punishment. If an individual is caught breaching the system, the starting fine is 20 million Guyana dollars. If a corporate entity is responsible, the starting fine is 100 million.”
He also added that the Health Ministry aims to ensure the system is accessible to everyone on their mobile phones.
“One of the things we want to do with this system is ensure that every citizen has a unique identifier. With this identifier, when they come to the public health system, they can access their health records quickly. Right now, despite our best efforts with manual records, we still face challenges such as misplaced files. This leads to patients sometimes waiting for hours. We want to eliminate this. In the future, we envision a system where citizens can use a smartphone app to make appointments with their doctor. When they arrive, their records will be accessible with a simple swipe. If they need medication, it will be prescribed, and they can easily pick it up at the pharmacy.”
In August 2023, the Data Protection (Amendment) Bill 2023 was passed in the National Assembly to protect the privacy of personal data. The Act contains stiff penalties for any breaches by data controllers—the individuals who determine the manner and purpose for which personal data is processed.
Additionally, it is a criminal offence for such officers to operate without being registered or without nominating a representative, with a fine of $10 million- or two-months’ imprisonment.