Madam Speaker, the e-Health Project is currently being implemented by my Ministry under a comprehensive portfolio approach in close collaboration with the United Nation Development Programme. The project is being implemented in phases with a view to improving healthcare delivery, strengthening data management and enhancing service efficiency across public healthcare institutions. Madam Speaker, it is important to recall that e-Health Project was initially launched in 2022, following the signature of a portfolio agreement with the UNDP, which was appointed as implementing partner with full responsibility for the procurement process as well as the overall project management. In this context, the UNDP has, since inception, and to date been managing the procurement cycle of the implementation of the project with dedicated technical and administrative personnel deployed for this purpose in accordance with the agreement entered into by the previous government. While the project was intended to support the digital transformation of the public health sector, its implementation was marked by a number of operational, technical and coordination challenges due to gaps in planning, insufficient ground work, and limited oversight by the previous government. It is to be noted that these challenges were compounded by unresolved operational issues, particularly in relation to site readiness, including electrical works and connectivity. These constraints had been flagged by the UNDP to the previous administration. However, they remained largely unaddressed, thereby contributing to delays in the implementation of the project. When I assumed office in November 2024, I observed that despite the lapse of nearly two years since the official launch of the project, progress remained limited and the initiative was still at the stage of user requirement gathering. This clearly indicated delays in moving the project towards actual implementation. Upon assuming office, my Ministry took immediate and decisive actions to salvage the project and accelerate its implementation. The user requirement phase was expedited and concrete steps were taken to transition the project into its implementation phase with a clear focus on delivery and tangible outcomes. Madam Speaker, Phase 1 focuses on the deployment of foundational modules that establish the necessary digital infrastructure to support patient and health service management. The core modules include Patient Administration System (PAS), manages the administrative life cycle of patients, including registration, admission, discharge and transfer process. e-Health portal and mobile application provide a digital interface for patients and healthcare providers to access health services, personal medical information and appointment scheduling. Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) and donor management application support end- to-end management of blood donations, donor records and transfusion processes. Reporting analytics facilitate real-time data aggregation, dashboard and performance monitoring to support evidence-based decision-making and health system governance. Laboratory information management system integration with the e-Health system and deployment across wards to enable electronic test ordering with automated transmission of results from laboratory analysis to wards and patients where required. The testing phase started on 23 August 2025 at New Flacq Hospital, which was the most advanced in terms of site preparedness. The system is already live at the hospital and in several associated primary healthcare facility for that region, including Bel Air Mediclinic, Bélvedère Mediclinic, Bramsthan Area Health Centre, Medine Camp de Masque Community Health Centre. Madam Speaker, an inter-ministerial committee, co-chaired by my colleague, the hon. Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation and myself, meets on a regular basis and is attended by representatives of my Ministry, Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation as well as the consortium with a view to fast- tracking implementation and addressing operational challenges in real time. Madam Speaker, with regard to part (a) of the question, I wish to inform the House that provision has been made for the incorporation of a full clinical cycle of outpatients within the e-Health system. The system had been designed as a comprehensive digital health solution to manage patient journey from registration up to appointment scheduling, clinical consultation, laboratory investigation, medication and follow up. From the very beginning of our mandate, my Ministry in coordination with the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, engaged with UNDP and successfully renegotiated scope of Phase I to include three critical modules at no additional cost to government with a view to providing a fully paperless patient experience at the earliest possible stage. As such, nurses, doctors and pharmacy modules have been incorporated to ensure a fully paperless patient experience at the earlier possible stage, namely vitals capture, the physician module and the pharmacy module. In the present phase, the system’s architecture and deployed modules include inter alia patients’ registration and identity management, appointment scheduling, outpatient clinical consultation, capturing of doctors’ notes, chief complaints, medical examination, vital signs and clinical data, pharmacy and medication list, medical files tracking, hospital workflow, including admission, discharges and transfers, as well as integration with the laboratory information management system. The system also includes specific clinical templates for departments, such as cardiology, dermatology, general medicine, general surgery, nephrology, and other speciality to cater for specific departmental and clinical requirements. The overall objective is to establish a single source of proof for patients’ records so as to ensure continuity of care, facilitated clinical decision-making and improved patients’ outcome. Madam Speaker, with regard to part (b) of the question, I am informed that the e-Health system, as I have just described, is presently live and operational in selected public healthcare institutions across different regions. However, at this stage, no public healthcare institution is fully operational in all aspects of the full clinical cycle as implementation is being carried out progressively and in a phased manner. It is important to note that based on experts’ advice and international best practice, a project of this scale and complexity cannot be implemented in a single step or at one point in time. Such systems are typically rolled out progressively in phases across multiple sites to allow for proper testing and user training system stabilisation and continuous improvement before full nationwide deployment. As at 30 April 2026, the system has been deployed in selected facilities across regions, New Flacq Hospital, Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital and Victoria Hospital. The application has so far recorded more than 126,000 patients’ registrations, 225,000 patients’ visit and 221,000 doctors’ consultation. Madam Speaker, roll out has also started in other facilities including those in region four, Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital, region five, Victoria Hospital while preparatory activities have been initiated in region one, Dr. Jeetoo Hospital, and two, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National Hospital including champion user training and configuration exercises. The roll out schedule depends on site readiness and electrical works, UPX installation, power points connectivity, Government internet and networking services, provisioning cyber security audit and retesting requirement as well as operational resource gaps. Madam Speaker, the roll out is expected to be completed in – region three – New Flacq Hospital by May 2026; region four – Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital by September 2026, and region two – Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National Hospital in March 2027. The timeline for region one, Dr. Jeetoo Hospital, and region five, Victoria Hospital, are expected by December 2027 subject to the completion of electrical works and connectivity requirements.

Thank you. Yes, one supplementary, please.

I have two, if you allow me, please.

Two is okay.

May I ask the hon. Minister whether he could indicate to the House if the clinical data and the electronic records that would be generated with the E-Health systems will be legally admissible in our court system particularly in the world of medical litigation in which we are living right now, and if so, under which legal provisions? Thank you.

Madam Speaker, well I am not a lawyer but definitely, we seeking the advice of the State Law Office. The State Law Office will have to advise us on the step that we have to take but as far as I am aware, for the time being, they are not doing anything illegal.

You will do the needful. Yes.

Last one. Thank you, hon. Minister. Could you inform the House of the specific measures or specific sensitisation campaign and communication strategies that have been put in place so that the public at large may benefit from the usage of the E-Health services, particularly, our hon. Minister of ICT who could help with having an App so that every single person at home can definitely have access not even to his medical records but, particularly, to all the medical test that he has conducted so that they can take efficient measures to correct that. Thank you.

Madam Speaker, it is fact anything new that we do, anything new that we introduce, we are met with certain opposition in the beginning. My first step has been to win over the doctors, first of all, – doctors and the medical and paramedical staff. Once you get them in confidence, then everything becomes possible. So, I get the feeling now that doctors, the paramedical staff, the medical staff are for the project. In the beginning there was stiff resistance. Secondly, patients also, in the beginning when they come, they had to wait a little bit but slowly, and slowly, now, they are getting accustomed to it and with the support of the hon. Minister of Information Technology.

IT.

I do hope, I am going to attain. I can assure the House that this has been going on for years, and years, and years. That started in 2013 when our hon. Prime Minister, when he had started that project, up till now nothing has happened but I can assure the House by next year if you ask me the same question, I will tell you we are nearing completion.

On va vivre avec notre temps.

C’est intéressant seulement.

Yes. Yes.

One.

Yes, but you ask me, do not show me a piece of paper because I do not understand. I think, you are asking someone to get a message.

Okay, thank you. Thank you, Madam Speaker. May I ask the hon. Minister whether, in the user requirement gathering process, there is or there has been discussion with the Health Commission in Rodrigues especially with regard to the transfer and admission of patients from Rodrigues and whether, the existing E-Health in Rodrigues is compatible with the one in Mauritius.

No, not necessarily. We had discussions with my colleague, the hon. Minister of Information Technology, and in our forthcoming meetings, we are going to raise up the issue and I can assure the hon. Member that Rodrigues is also in our heart.

Okay, good.

Thank you.

I am not. Well, let us see. Let us see. You have one more?

One last.

Okay.

Very important.

Otherwise, I will be told that I am one sided.

May I ask the hon. Minister the issue of confidentiality when it comes to e-Health which has been implemented in the private sector for the last 6-7 years, in particularly one group, has faced enormous difficulties and concern about the personal records of patient that is being shared out.

Your question!

Can the hon. Minister ensure the House and public at large how confidentiality of patient can be preserved particularly, with the number of hackers that we have in the community.

This issue was raised on many occasions but I was given assurance by my colleague, the hon. Minister of Information Technology and also, by the expert of UNDP that everything will be done to see to it that the privacy of the patient will not be disclosed.

Okay, hon. Ramdass! OVERSEAS MEDICAL TREATMENT – FUNDS COLLECTION – AUTHORISED INSTITUTION/ORGANISATION