The health ministry on Tuesday signed an agreement that will facilitate the implementation of the long touted game changing electronic health records system.

Over the next 18 months, just over $5 million US dollars will be spent to roll out the system across 13 health facilities, including at the Spanish Town Hospital, where Tuesday‘s signing ceremony took place.

Other facilities to benefit in this first phase are the St. Ann’s Bay, May Pen and Chapelton community hospitals, as well as 9 health centres in St. Ann, St. catherine and Clarendon.

The implementation of the EHR is paid for under the health systems strengthening programme, for which the government was given $50 million US dollars by the Inter-american Development Bank.

The UK firm, the phoenix partnership is contracted to deliver the system, inclusive of a 15 year support period, along with additional functionality, such as a patient centric mobile app.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, health minister Dr Christopher Tufton noted, that the system will see the transition to a paperless one for patient records, with uploading and sharing of records among healthcare providers, for the seamless and collaborative delivery of care.

Dr Tufton said other features of the system will help create a seamless interface of critical diagnostic imaging.