By Mary Agidi
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Ondo State Head of Service, Mr. Toyin Akinkuotu has said that the government has no obligation to convert any worker who proceeded on training without approval, saying conversion is not automatic.

Akinkuotu made this known during the courtesy visit of the national executives of the Association of Health Records and Information Management Practitioners of Nigeria (AHRIMPN) to his office at the weekend.

He informed them about conditions for conversion which he said must be strictly adhered to, saying “most workers will proceed on training without the approval of the office, government does not have any obligation to convert such personnel. But if such worker is on study leave, on his or her completion government has the responsibility to convert such officer”.

According to a statement made available to The Hope by the information officer in the office of HoS, Akinjide Oluwatope, Akinkuotu berated the level of public enlightenment about Health Record and Information Management profession before now, noting that the low publicity will affect their members career advancement in the Public service.

He congratulated the association on the inauguration of Ondo State Executives, saying it is a veritable platform to drive career advancement for it’s members in the service and for welfare.

The National President of the Association, Nwani Jerry said the professional association is about trained and licensed Health Records and Information Management throughout Nigeria with the purpose of keeping and developing medical records of patients in the hospital for planning, research and statistics.

He said the National Executive is in Ondo state to inaugurate the new state executives and to create awareness because of quackery challenges in the practice of the profession and to sensitize the general public and private hospitals to stop engaging quacks in their health records management department.

He explained that the awareness programme will ensure that only trained and licensed practitioners would be allowed to do the job.

He said in the past most of the health records and data generated overtime were not accurate because of the quackery challenge which affects health planing and research adversely.

The National President said by 2020, the association has planned will commence enforcement to regulate the challenges after a thorough sensitization programme.

He said the association is requesting for the implementation of scheme of service and domestication of federal circular on the inclusion of Higher National Diploma in officer cadre.

Nwani also informed the Head of Service that name of the association has been changed from Health Information Managers of Nigeria to Association of Health Records and Information Management Practitioners of Nigeria. (AHRIMPN).