EASTERN CAPE – The Eastern Cape Department of Health has become the first province in South Africa to roll out an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system for primary healthcare.
Spokesperson for the Department of Health, Siyanda Manana, said a total of 110 health facilities across the Eastern Cape have progressed in the province’s journey from traditional paper-based patient records towards a modern, integrated digital health system.
“The milestone comes within two and a half months after the province began its EMR rollout and represents a significant change in how patient information will be managed and how healthcare workers will deliver care,” he said.
Manana added, “For patients, the change means moving towards a health system where their clinical information can be securely captured electronically and made available to authorised healthcare professionals at the point of care.
“For healthcare workers, it means better access to patient histories, improved continuity of care, reliable information for clinical decision-making and stronger systems for following patients through their treatment journey,” he said.
Manana added that the transition also addresses some of the long-standing limitations associated with paper-based records, including files being misplaced, information being duplicated and important patient information not always being immediately available when it is needed.
“The department’s progress is already visible at clinic level. EMR has been implemented across six districts and two metros following the training of all personnel, stakeholders including primary healthcare government structures.
“In Buffalo City metro, the pilot site is leading in terms of the number of implementing facilities, including Pefferville Clinic, Beacon Bay Clinic, Gateway Clinic, Petros Jobane Clinic, Gonubie Clinic and Central Clinic, among others.”
According to Manana, the rollout is therefore not simply about installing software, but ensuring facilities have trained personnel, appropriate devices, connectivity and ongoing technical support required to sustain digital healthcare.
Manana said reaching 110 facilities is an important achievement, but it is not the destination. The department will continue expanding EMR implementation across districts as facilities meet readiness requirements and healthcare workers are trained.
“The long-term objective is to build a connected health system in which accurate patient information supports care from reception to consultation rooms through referral and follow-up, while providing reliable information to improve planning, resource allocation and health service delivery.
“The Eastern Cape’s achievement in becoming the first province in South Africa to cross 100 facilities implementing EMR demonstrates the scale and pace at which the province is embracing digital transformation in healthcare.”
He added that the rollout forms part of South Africa’s broader digital health strategy and supports the country’s transition towards National Health Insurance (NHI). Rather than simply digitising paper records, the initiative is transforming primary healthcare by improving patient outcomes, strengthening service delivery and creating a connected health system capable of responding more effectively to community healthcare needs.
Manana said the shift from paper to digital is ultimately about more than technology. It is about ensuring that when a patient walks into a health facility, the health system knows them, their clinical journey can be followed and healthcare workers have the information they need to provide the right care at the right time.
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