KWARA HOSPITALS GO ELECTRONIC AS ABUJA HOSPITAL PLUNGES INTO DARKNESS

The Kwara State Government is set to phase out paper-based medical records in state-owned hospitals with the introduction of an electronic medical records (EMR) system aimed at improving patient care and modernising healthcare delivery.

The initiative, approved by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, will be implemented through the Kwara State Hospitals Management Board under the HOPE-PHC Project, with staff training scheduled to begin in November 2026.

According to the board’s Press Secretary, Adamu Sabi, the initiative would improve administrative efficiency, strengthen patient information management and advance digital transformation across the state’s public healthcare system.

“The rollout builds on an earlier hospital digitalisation pilot involving six hospitals and ongoing efforts to integrate digital solutions into healthcare service delivery,” the statement said.

The EMR system is expected to reduce hospitals’ reliance on paper documentation, improve access to patients’ medical histories, promote continuity of care and support evidence-based decision-making in hospital management.

Executive Secretary of the board, Abdulraheem Malik, commended the governor for approving the initiative, describing it as “an important milestone in the state’s drive towards a more efficient, accountable and technology-driven public healthcare system”.

ABUJA’S POWER NIGHTMARE

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But even as Kwara prepares for its digital leap, a stark reminder of Nigeria’s infrastructural fragility emerged in Abuja. A power outage at Maitama District Hospital on Saturday left patients waiting as computer-based operations and access to records were disrupted.

The outage exposed the uncomfortable truth that many of Nigeria’s hospital, including those in the nation’s capital, remain tethered to an unstable power grid that can collapse without warning.When the lights went out, so did the computers.

And with them, patient records, diagnostic systems, and the very digital infrastructure that is supposed to improve care.

THE UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTION

This juxtaposition raises a fundamental question: Should Nigeria’s hospitals be transitioning to electronic systems before power supply stability is guaranteed?

The answer, based on evidence, is a resounding NO. EMR systems are only as reliable as the electricity that powers them. A hospital that cannot keep the lights on cannot keep its servers running. A hospital that suffers frequent outages cannot guarantee that patient data will be available when needed most.In Kwara, the government is investing in training and software.

But has it invested in backup power systems? Has it ensured that every hospital in the state has uninterrupted power supply? Has it accounted for the cost of generators, inverters, and solar backups?

These are not peripheral concerns. They are the foundation upon which any digital health system must be built.

THE LESSON FROM MAITAMA

The Maitama outage is not an anomaly. It is a preview.If a hospital in Abuja, the seat of federal power, cannot maintain consistent electricity, what hope is there for hospitals in rural Kwara?

What happens when a patient’s life depends on accessing an electronic record that is trapped on a dead server? Proponents of digitalisation often speak of efficiency, cost savings, and improved outcomes. These are worthy goals.

But they are contingent on infrastructure that Nigeria has not yet built. The cart is being placed before the horse.

POWER FIRST, PIXELS LATER

This is not an argument against digitalisation. Electronic medical records are the future. They can reduce errors, improve coordination, and save lives. But the sequence matters.

Before Nigeria’s hospitals go digital, they must first go stable. Power supply must be reliable. Backup systems must be in place. Data security must be assured. Staff must be trained not just on software, but on contingency protocols for when the system fails.

Kwara’s EMR initiative is laudable in its ambition. But ambition without infrastructure is a recipe for frustration.The Maitama outage should serve as a warning. The lesson is simple: You cannot digitise what you cannot power.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Kwara’s EMR rollout is scheduled to begin in November. Whether the state’s hospitals are ready for the digital future depends on whether they can first survive the analogue present.