The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Minister of Health yesterday said healthcare modernisation had taken a “giant leap forward” through the implementation of an $18.4 million Integrated Health Information Management System (IHIMS).

The contract with AllScripts and its partner, Infor Lawson, for the  implementation of a single electronic medical records platform across all public health services, part of a $200 million  infrastructure expansion and improvement of the country’s hospitals, is also key to the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.

Dr Perry Gomez told a workshop that the launch of the IHIMS was a “red letter day” for healthcare in the Bahamas.

He added that the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) had been making “significant progress” with respect to capital projects, recruitment and acquisitions.

“The PHA has proven to be a vital linchpin in the improvement and advancement of our public health service and infrastructure,” Dr Gomez said.

“Modernisations have been in keeping with respect to the authority’s strategic development of the physical environment, services, management and resources at all of our public hospitals.

“Significant progress has been made with respect to capital projects, to improving our hospitals’ physical plants, recruitment efforts to  address longstanding shortfalls in critical professions and acquisitions programmes to replace and enhance the diagnostic imaging and medical laboratory equipment.”