Delta Health Commissioner reaffirms Government Commitment to State Health Facilities

By Enweliku Kent

The Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge has reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to partner with organizations to digitize data management processes in the State’s primary and secondary health facilities.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge made this known during the launch of the Project to Digitize Data Management Processes in Primary and Secondary Health Facilities in the State made possible by Instrat Global Health Solutions Limited at the primary Health Centre, Umuagu, Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government.

Dr. Azinge said the event which is in line with the ‘SMART Agenda’ of His Excellency, Dr.Ifeanyi Okowa, is coming at a crucial time to address challenges associated with manual collation and assessment of data with the goal to aid effective decision making.

He said digitizing health data from the point of generation to the final destination in the State has been a goal of the Ministry of Health for several years and expressed delight that the project has finally kicked-off after years of attempts and proposals from several organizations.

He commended Instrat Global Health Solutions Limited especially for its first-of-a-kind offering of free pilot services in Electronic Health Data Management, Support for the Saving One Million Lives (SOML) Initiative, Support SMS Health Tips messaging as provided by SOML and Mobile Health Workers Training.

The Commissioner added that these services would be carried out as a pilot project in all Primary and Secondary Health Facilities in Oshimili South LGA namely Primary Health Centres  Umuagu, Cable Point, Anwai, Okwe, Akwuebulu,  Oko-Amakom, Oko-Anala, Oko-Ogbele, and the General Hospital Okwe, Asaba.

Dr. Azinge also expressed desire that at the completion of the pilot project, the impact of the project will be shared with other stakeholders in the health sector with a view to scaling up to health facilities in more Local Government Areas.

According to the Commissioner, the ‘CliniPAK’ software which is to be used for the data management process is a streamlined electronic medical record, data capture and reporting system that would cover patient registration and demographics, vital statistics, capture diagnosis, treatment, case review and administrative task support, lab order management, pharmacy distribution and inventory control, and patient flow management. Installed locally on ‘CliniPAK’ Hardware, ‘CliniPAK’ offers both workflow and forms-based data capture at the point of care and real time access to patient records and reporting tools. All this will boost implementation of our activities in the Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results.

In her address, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. (Mrs.) Minnie Oseji said mothers stand to benefit in improvement of quality of antenatal care, delivery and post natal care provided by health workers who have received training through this programme.

Other benefits include the creation of demand of services through follow up messages which will impact positively on immunization coverage of children according to her.

In the same vein, at the signing of the Memoranda of Understanding between Delta State Government and Instrat Global Health Solutions limited, at the Commissioner’s office, the Commissioner expressed joy saying the ceremony officially kick starts the process of digitizing Data Management Processes in Primary and Secondary Health Facilities in Oshimili South Local Government Area of the State.

He thanked Instrat Global Health Solutions Limited for taking up this investment opportunity and partnering with the Delta State Government.

Speaking earlier, the Director National Operations, Instrat Global Health Solutions, Mr. Abiola Oshunniyi, said his organization has identified data management as a key area critical to healthcare adding that data forms the fulcrum for decision making.

Mr. Oshunniyi also stated that InStrat Global Health Solutions is partnering with the Delta State Government to bring mobile solutions in the area of data management that will help the availability and ease of access to data directly from the health facilities.

He added that the package comes with timely and accurate data collation to help the effective decision making process, tracking of programmes and programmes implementation, and training of health workers.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of customized mobile devices for the project to the benefitting hospitals by Dr. (Mrs.) Minnie Oseji, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health.

Dr. (Mrs.) Minnie Oseji, Permanent Secretary, representing the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge receiving the devises on behalf of the State Government from Mr. Abiola Oshunniyi, Director, National Operations, Instrat Global Health Solutions Limited during the launch of the Project to Digitize Data Management Processes in Primary and Secondary Health Facilities in the State t the Primary Health Centre, Umuagu, Oshimili South LGA.

Dr. Nicholas Azinge, Stated this  during the signing of the Memoranda of Understanding between the Delta State Government and Instrat Global Health Solutions limited.