Ekiti takes step to advance digital health for improved service delivery .....Inaugurates technical working group

The Ekiti State Government has inaugurated a Technical Working Group on Digital Health as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare service delivery through technology.

Speaking at the inauguration in Ado-Ekiti, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, said the initiative was aimed at adopting the national digital health architecture as a pathway to achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Dr Filani explained that the move would help bridge existing gaps in health data management and ensure secure, statewide access to health information for patients and healthcare providers.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Mrs Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, the commissioner said the process would 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 added that Ekiti State was already making progress in digital health, noting that some health facilities had adopted electronic medical records and other digital technologies for diagnosis, documentation and treatment.

“Most 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 (EMR),” he said.

Dr Filani also urged members of the committee to work diligently to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.

In his goodwill message, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Digital Economy, Mr Ayodele Adeyanju, expressed confidence that the initiative would enhance healthcare service delivery if properly implemented.

Mr Adeyanju said the system would enable unified patient records, allowing healthcare providers easier access to medical histories, especially during emergencies.

Also speaking, the General Manager of the Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Charles. Doherty, the General Manager of the Drug and Health Commodities Management Agency, Pharm. Kolawole Olajide, and the Executive Secretary of the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA), Dr Dairo Ojo, described the digitalisation of healthcare services as a critical step toward improving the quality of healthcare delivery.

They noted that the initiative would support the integration of the state’s health information systems into the national digital health ecosystem, while also strengthening monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

Earlier in their presentations, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Health, Dr Olubunmi Ibitoye, and the Digital in Health Focal Person, Mrs Olayemi Ojo, said the inauguration of the Technical Working Group marked a major milestone in advancing digital health in Ekiti State.

They said the development demonstrated the state government’s commitment to leveraging technology to improve health outcomes while contributing to Nigeria’s broader digital health transformation agenda.

The 35-member Technical Working Group, chaired by Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, includes representatives from the Ministry of Health, other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), civil society organisations, private medical practitioners and development partners.