Jamaica plans to roll out US$8.4 mn ICT system by Sept

The government of Jamaica claims that it has made significant progress in constructing the information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, which will send real-time data to hospitals and health centres throughout the island.

The $8.4 million initiative is part of the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) Health System Strengthening Programme, which has the support of the European Union (EU).

This is first of its kind programme in the Island country. The government officials said that it is presently being tested in a few clinics, with plans to roll it out in all public health institutions by September 2022.

All health information, personal data, and patient profiles will be maintained in a secure data space administered by e-Gov Jamaica Limited (e-Gov), which will be available only to licenced health practitioners.

Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health and Wellness, visited the data centre at e-offices Gov's on Old Hope Road and the warehouse at Cable & Wireless on Carlton Crescent on Thursday.

The data centre, according to Dr. Tufton, is "tamper-proof" and "will enable for the real-time transportation of information from wherever it is inputted to wherever it is used, such as from a health centre to a hospital."

He stated that the data would be safely held in one location, with a backup location on the island.

"It also includes various security mechanisms that prohibit people and entities from logging in or accessing that database," the Minister explained.

"It's tough." It's checked on a daily basis, and based on the different security elements, it's extremely unlikely to be hacked," he assured.

More than 2,800 gadgets, including PCs, laptops, and medical-grade iPads, will make up the ICT hardware. C&W is in charge of setting up the equipment and following up on maintenance.

The ICT project, according to the Health Minister, "complements the other things we're doing, such as expanding hospitals and health centres, training additional staff, and so forth." It's all part of this comprehensive resilience-building programme."

Dr. Tufton's tour gave him a firsthand look at the ICT infrastructure work being done to enhance Jamaica's health system's resilience, as well as an opportunity to question the progress made and some next steps.

The Health Systems Strengthening Programme also includes the renovation of 13 health institutions across the island.