The Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Prof Adetokunbo Fabamwo, has defended the pace of the hospital's digital transformation programme, disclosing that the next phase of implementation is expected to commence within the next few weeks.

Fabamwo spoke in a statement issued on Thursday, responding to concerns over delayed medical consultations and reports that patients' case files were still being moved manually, with bags of folders occupying parts of the records section, a situation that, as a teaching hospital, directly shapes how medical students at LASUTH experience clinical training daily.

He explained that the digitalisation project was being implemented in phases to ensure efficiency, sustainability and minimal disruption to patient care, noting that the first phase had already been completed in the Family Medicine and Ophthalmology departments, where electronic systems are now used for patient care, records management and service delivery.

As a teaching hospital, LASUTH trains medical and dental students who rotate through its clinical departments as part of their degree programmes, meaning delays tied to manual record handling can slow down the pace at which students observe consultations, access patient histories for case study, and learn modern records practices expected of them once they enter clinical practice. The phased rollout of electronic systems in departments such as Family Medicine and Ophthalmology gives students in those units earlier exposure to digital medical records systems increasingly standard in modern healthcare delivery, exposure that departments still relying on manual folders do not yet offer.

Fabamwo disclosed that the hospital's Accounts Department had also been fully digitalised, resulting in improved financial processes, transparency and operational efficiency. He stated that "the process of digitalising LASUTH has already commenced and is progressing in a carefully planned, phased manner to ensure efficiency, sustainability and minimal disruption to patient care."

He added that the next phase would extend electronic medical records and other digital solutions to additional clinical and administrative departments, a development expected to widen the number of departments where students on clinical postings can train directly on electronic systems rather than manual filing processes.

Fabamwo reiterated the hospital's commitment to full digital transformation in line with global best practices and the Lagos State Government's vision for technology driven healthcare, while appreciating patients, staff and the public for their patience as the transformation continues.