Copyright ghanamma
Patients at most government hospitals in the Ashanti Region have expressed concern over the slow pace of record-keeping due to challenges with the Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS). They lament that hospitals are reverting to the manual folder system, which causes significant delays in service delivery. A visit to some government health facilities revealed that many have resorted to the manual folder system, resulting in long waiting hours and growing frustration among patients. At the Ejisu, Suntreso, and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals, medical officers have reverted to the old folder system to record patients’ medical records. The situation is affecting the turnaround time at these facilities as compared to the electronic system, which is currently down. However, at the Manhyia District hospital, management has had an alternative, and there is less pressure as compared to the other facilities using the manual system. Several patients complained of sitting at the Outpatient Department (OPD) for hours without being attended to. They called on the Ministry of Health to urgently address the situation, warning that reverting to the old manual system could worsen patients’ conditions due to delays in medical attention. “The system has become very slow. They said they are going back to the old folder system, so we now have to join long queues again”, Joyce Boah, a Patient, lamented. Another patient, Sampson Nyabi, said, “We now have to queue for about two hours just to access a folder at the OPD. After that, we join another long queue at the consulting area before seeing the doctor. This is frustrating.” The Lightwave Health Information Management System (LHIMS) is an electronic platform introduced by the Ministry of Health to improve healthcare delivery by digitizing patient records, ensuring easy data access, and enhancing coordination among healthcare providers. However, recent technical challenges with the system have disrupted its smooth operation, forcing many hospitals to temporarily return to manual record keeping. Sources say the repeated interruption in the system is largely financial as the government, through the Ministry of Health, has not been able to honor payment obligations of operators of the system. GTEC Director-General clarifies academic credentials after public petition
