Expert urges training for health record practitioners

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Health Records Officers Registeration Board of Nigeria, Daniel Akanji has called for more training programmes for health record practioners in the country.

He made the call at the sidelines of the annual national conference of the Association of Health Records Practitioners of Nigeria (AHRPN) in Abuja.

He said the major challenge of health records profession in the country was man power development, saying that only two universities offer abridged programmes in health records while the University of Ibadan runs a Master’s Degree programme in the course.

Akanji said it does not augur well for Nigeria’s image for citizens to be travelling to Cotonou in Benin Republic for training in the course, and that the country also does not have resources to keep sending people to Australia for training.

He called on universities to establish Bachelor’s Degree programmes in health records saying if the National Universities Commission (NUC) could approve the course in two to 10 universities, it would alleviate the challenges many students face vying for admission spaces in the country.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire called on record officers across the country to embrace the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in record management saying their role was indispensable to the attainment of Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.

Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Health, Muhammad Usman said there were weaknesses in the law establishing the board, adding that the house was ready to put appropriate laws in place to enable health records professionals perform their jobs better.

Registrar /CEO Health Records Officers Registeration Board of Nigeria Mohammed Ibrahim Mami, said health record practitioners were key to repositioning and effectively operating primary healthcare centres in the country.

While calling on hospitals to embrace electronic medical records, he said there was inadequate personnel collating data in hospitals in the face of the various disease patterns and outbreaks in the country.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Ayuba Waba, said the role of health record workers in data collection and analysis was key in planning towards addressing diseases and other health sector issues.

While urging health record workers to give in their best towards quality health service delivery, he said there was need to review the scheme of service.

President of association of Professional Bodies in Nigeria, Dr Idris Omede urged healthcare workers not to allow division in their midst. He added that teamwork, intra professional and inter professional relations was important for development and peace in the health sector.