Ekiti State Government has announced plans to strengthen and expand digitalisation of the health sector, aiming to enhance service delivery through technology and improve healthcare outcomes.
The state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Oyebanji Filani, said the initiative aims to implement the national digital health architecture as a pathway to achieving Universal Health Coverage.
Filani, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mrs Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, spoke in Ado Ekiti on Monday during the inauguration of a 35-member Technical Working Group on Digital Health.
The commissioner said, “The move will help bridge existing gaps in health data management and ensure secure, statewide access to health information for patients and healthcare providers.
“The process will also unify health registries, electronic medical records and data exchange systems to promote data-driven decision-making for effective health system management and improved quality of care.”
He said that Ekiti State was already making progress in digital health, saying, “Some services in the state’s health sector, including the Ulerawa flagship health insurance programme and some secondary health facilities, have been digitised with the use of Electronic Medical Records and other digital technologies for diagnosis, documentation and treatment.
He urged members of the committee to work diligently to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Digital Economy, Ayodele Adeyanju, said that adoption of digital health “will enable unified patient records and allow healthcare providers easier access to medical histories, especially during emergencies”.
Adeyanju expressed confidence that the programme would significantly improve healthcare service delivery if properly implemented.
Also speaking, the General Manager, Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Charles Doherty, described the digitalisation of healthcare services as a crucial step toward enhancing the quality of healthcare delivery.
Doherty noted that the initiative would help integrate the state’s health information systems into the national digital health ecosystem, while also strengthening monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
The Digital Health Focal Person, Mrs Olayemi Ojo, said the inauguration of the Technical Working Group marked a significant milestone in advancing digital health in Ekiti State.
Ojo said, “The development demonstrates the state government’s commitment to leveraging technology to improve health outcomes while contributing to Nigeria’s broader digital health transformation agenda.
Members of the Technical Working Group, chaired by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mrs Gbenga-Igotun, included representatives from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, civil society organizations, private medical practitioners and development partners.
Also in attendance at the event were the General Manager, Drug and Health Commodities Management Agency, Kolawole Olajide; Executive Secretary, State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr Dairo Ojo; and the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Health, Dr Olubunmi Ibitoye.
This follows weeks after the state government intensified efforts to improve maternal health outcomes through the deployment of digital solutions.
