eClat, a health technology company owned by Nigerian payment giant Interswitch, has teamed up with the Lagos State Ministry of Health to introduce a cloud-based system called the Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP). This platform is designed to manage and share data across all state-run healthcare facilities in Lagos. This collaboration is the second time eClat has worked with a government body in the past year.
The Lagos State government expects this new platform to make the health ministry more efficient. By having all data in one place, they can analyze health trends among the people of Lagos. Akin Abayomi, the health commissioner, highlighted this point on June 18 during the agreement signing between the Office of Public Private Partnership and the Digital Health Platform Limited. This deal involves the state’s Ministry of Health, Interswitch, and eClat. The goal is to move from paper-based records to a digital system, centralizing vast amounts of data. Lagos’ general hospitals alone handle data from over 7 million people, with more generated by the state’s 256 public healthcare centers.
This marks eClat’s second government partnership since Interswitch bought it to enhance its payment services in healthcare. In May 2023, eClat partnered with Ogun State to introduce its eClinic service, digitizing data management at a major teaching hospital.
eClat aims to build a digital platform that connects different health systems, allowing them to share data securely. This will also enable digital bill payments at hospitals, benefiting Interswitch’s payment services. Interswitch acquired eClat in 2019 to strengthen its position as a provider of health-tech solutions and payment services in the healthcare sector. Collaborations like these help promote digital payments in Nigeria, a country where cash transactions are still prevalent. Mitchell Elegbe, the founder and CEO of Interswitch, noted the significant potential in sectors where the government is heavily involved, such as healthcare and transportation.
Before joining Interswitch, eClat’s electronic health record system was already used in over 250 public and private healthcare facilities in Nigeria. This new government partnership is expected to greatly expand that number.
Victoria Ibiama
