Lagos State has introduced the Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP) to transform data transmission and management across all state-owned healthcare facilities.

The secure digital cloud is a government-led effort in collaboration with eClat, a health technology company, and Interswitch Limited, to create a backbone for seamless movement of patients’ data and enhance digital transformation in the state’s healthcare.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu supervised signing of the Concession Agreement between the Office of Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the Digital Health Platform Limited.

The agreement signing was also witnessed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro.

The digital system will eliminate loose data sharing and transmission, and provide improved protection and privacy for patients’ data.

Sanwo-Olu described the innovation as ‘transformational step’ in simplifying data collection and usage in the health sector, stressing that the government made a ‘bold move’ in leveraging technology to enable efficient health delivery.

The Governor added that the innovation would enable proper allocation of resources and empower decision makers to analyse and evaluate the impact of interventions in the sector.

He said: “We have seen global trend in using technology as a backbone to manage healthcare delivery and to assess changes in lifestyle of the population. We have seen the transformation technology has brought to banking, transportation and education. Smart Health Information Platform is our own bold step to transform healthcare and ease the cumbersome data processing in our hospitals.

“This transition has taken us about two years of building a robust platform that will secure and protect patients’ data. During this journey, we are able to identify best partners that will deliver and help us realise our vision for the transformation of services in our hospitals. This is the beginning of full information technology reform in our healthcare system.”

The Governor assured the public of full protection of the database, saying there was nothing to worry about in maintaining privacy of the data collected through the platform.

Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi said the state-owned general hospitals alone generated seven million contact data, aside data collected by Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), tertiary health institutions and private hospitals.

Managing the data, the commissioner said, required a robust digital infrastructure that would eliminate repetition and errors in data collection. Abayomi said the SHIP would also empower the government to plan and coordinate health services across all levels.

He said: “When the data are in one place, we can then use it to collect trends on the health-seeking behaviour of Lagosians. This is critical because we can use the data for policy definition and to apply for resources from certain places. The platform is not only for the care of the patients, but also for the policy makers.”

Group Managing Director of Interswitch, Mitchell Elegbe, said the solution would not only allow free flow of data from one health institution to another, but also provide seamless payment options for patients.

He assured the people that the platform would not compromise data of patients and other information stored on it. “This partnership is something we won’t take with levity,” he promised.