Koforidua, Jan. 6, GNA - The Eastern Regional Hospital at Koforidua has started Unit Registration of patients who report at the hospital as from January 1.

Under the project every patient would be given a new registration number that he or she would keep for the rest of his or her life anytime they reported at any department of the hospital.

The bio-statistician of the hospital, Mr Francis Martey, said this on Monday.

He explained that the new system was cost-effective and could help patients save money since they would be using the same card in all the departments of the hospital.

The process would enable the medical officers to know the medical history of the patients who report to them by reading through the computer network in all departments and consulting rooms of the hospital.

Mr Martey said the unit registration was being used in some regional hospitals and it was expected that it could be adopted by all health facilities.

He conceded that initially there could be problems in the use of the new system for both the hospital staff and the patient but with time, all would be well.