Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia launched the National E-Health Project, known as the Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS), at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on Wednesday.
This project, a key component of Ghana’s digitization efforts, is designed to deliver efficient, accessible, and high-quality healthcare by implementing an integrated Electronic Medical Record (EHR) system across the country.
Dr. Bawumia explained that the LHIMS platform will improve healthcare delivery by streamlining access to patient information and supporting continuity of care.
“The National E-Health Project represents a new era for our healthcare system. By integrating digital health tools, we are transforming patient care, enhancing resource allocation, and bringing specialized expertise closer to those in need,” he said during the event.
The project began its groundwork in 2017, with pilot programs starting in 2018, and official approval in 2019. Today, LHIMS has been successfully deployed across all six Teaching Hospitals, ten Regional Hospitals, 243 hospitals, three psychiatric facilities, and 50 polyclinics, spanning over 1,000 healthcare centers in all 16 regions"
"Expansion efforts are ongoing to bring the system to additional health centers and CHPS compounds nationwide"
The impact of the LHIMS has already been transformative.
Prior to its implementation, Ghana's healthcare sector faced obstacles with fragmented patient records, delays in data access, and limited capacity for effective decision-making at multiple administrative levels.
Additionally, challenges with tracking revenue, submitting claims to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and accessing accurate data made efficient care difficult to deliver.
"Today, LHIMS addresses these challenges with a unified, secure digital record system accessible to healthcare providers nationwide"
"This shift has made patient history portable, greatly improved record accuracy, and expedited NHIA claims processing"
As Dr. Bawumia remarked, “The era of paper-based folders is gone,” marking the end of a long-standing era and celebrating the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, and Lightwave E-Healthcare Solution Ltd for their commitment to this transformation.
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
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