Health Minister reveals plans for unified digital health records system
Health Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel has revealed that efforts are underway to establish a system that stores and provides access to citizens’ health information on a single digital platform.
Acknowledging challenges in effectively addressing problems faced by the Maldivian health sector, the minister said one of the key issues is the lack of a central system where patient health records can be easily accessed. Currently, medical tests and information from one hospital cannot be accessed by another, which causes unnecessary burdens on both patients and the state, he said.
“Connecting the health sector through a digital platform will allow hospitals to access test results without requiring patients to repeat them,” the minister said.
The minister assured that the system will ensure that health records are securely maintained even if they seek treatment across different clinics or hospitals. The system would be implemented with the assistance of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), he added.