Rwanda is taking a significant leap towards digitizing its healthcare system, with plans to eliminate physical medical records across all public health facilities by the end of 2025. The country's Ministry of Health is banking on a locally built digital platform, e-Ubuzima, to achieve this goal by December. Developed as part of Rwanda's broader digital transformation agenda, e-Ubuzima is designed to synchronize patient data across all health centers, allowing medical personnel and patients to access health records in real-time.

The platform aims to reduce patient waiting time, ease hospital congestion, and improve prescription accuracy. According to Muhammed Semakula, Head of Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Health Financing at the Ministry of Health, e-Ubuzima also enables users to search for health facilities, choose the doctor they want to see, and even schedule appointments. "Once the patient selects a doctor, the system notifies the hospital, and the doctor sees it on their calendar that a patient is waiting," Semakula explained.

e-Ubuzima is currently deployed in 15 districts and comes with a mobile application that helps patients navigate Rwanda's growing healthcare network, comprising over 60 district and referral hospitals, 500+ health centers, and thousands of community health posts. With a population of around 14 million, Rwanda's decentralized health system has long been touted as a model for sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to its community-based approach and near-universal health insurance coverage, Mutuelles de Santé.

However, gaps still exist in the system, especially in areas like non-communicable disease care and timely access to health information. To improve information sharing, Semakula said the platform will also double as an official channel for health communication. "If there's a disease outbreak, people need reliable information. This app will be one of the platforms we use to disseminate awareness content," he explained.

Despite the ambitious project, Rwanda's digital health transition faces logistic and human challenges. For e-Ubuzima to achieve nationwide success, all 520 health centers must be equipped with at least 25 computers and stable internet access, Semakula told The New Times, admitting that hardware deployment remains a top challenge. Moreover, digital literacy among older healthcare workers is another concern. "Many in the older generation have lower computer literacy and are less motivated to use digital tools compared to younger staff. That's why consistent training is essential," he added.

e-Ubuzima is part of the Rwandan government's larger ambition to transform the East-African country into a tech-driven healthcare hub. As part of this vision, the government is preparing to launch a "virtual hospital" based on telemedicine technology, which will allow patients to consult with doctors remotely from a central facility in Kigali, the country's capital. The government has also planned to distribute smartphones to public health workers in rural areas and provide Wi-Fi access by June this year.

While Rwanda's ambitious project presents a remarkable leap towards full digital healthcare transformation, the journey ahead is not without challenges. Overcoming obstacles such as infrastructure gaps and digital literacy will be key to ensuring the success of this nationwide initiative. If Rwanda succeeds, it could serve as a blueprint for other African nations looking to revolutionize their healthcare systems through technology, ultimately improving healthcare access and efficiency across the continent.

The success of e-Ubuzima will depend on the government's ability to address the challenges and ensure a seamless rollout of the platform across the country. With the right support and investment, Rwanda's digital healthcare transformation could become a model for other countries to follow, leading to improved healthcare outcomes and better lives for millions of people.