​After successfully digitising over 800 000 paper-based patient files at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital as a pilot project, 36 public hospitals in Gauteng are expected to follow suit. 
This was announced by Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko during her budget vote presentation at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on Tuesday, 15 July 2025. This milestone sets the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) firm on the path to being a paperless healthcare system.
To ensure the expansion of the digitisation project, the GDoH has also prioritised the expansion of the Integrated Patient Queue Management System (IPQMS) to other healthcare facilities. Already, the system is up and running at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and Odi Hospital. 
The initiative aims to create a digital repository that enhances accessibility, security, and efficiency in managing patient records, while also ensuring compliance with privacy and security standards.
While the Department's digitisation journey is taking shape, MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko said that the project is a catalyst for skills transfer to the local communities, especially young people. 
"Through this project, we have been able to train 100 young people from local communities, bringing both economic opportunity and community ownership into the heart of system reform," said the MEC. 
Meanwhile, the rollout of the IPQMS aims to address challenges including extended waiting times due to long queues in healthcare facilities across the province. It aims to streamline the check-in process to ensure orderly service and improved efficiency.
The system provides accurate patient records, monitor service turnaround times and assist in effective staff allocation by identifying busy periods. Some of the key features include a user-friendly mobile App for booking appointments and a token management system through self-help kiosks. 
In addition, the GDoH is also moving with speed to implement the Health Information System (HIS) that will allow for one-patient-one-file. Following the successful implementation of three of the four modules of the HIS, which encompass patient administration, billing, finance and revenue that have been seamlessly integrated into all 37 hospitals and 33 Community Health Centres, the Department has in the previous financial year implemented the clinical module at Mamelodi Hospital and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
The benefits of the clinical module of the HIS include easy access and safe keeping of clinical records, capturing of patient's allergies and other risk factors, capturing of patient progress, booking surgery intra operation and the capturing of vitals amongst others.