INTRODUCTION
The Nigerian Navy College of Health Sciences Offa (previously known as Nigerian Navy School of Health Sciences, Offa) was established to train middle level manpower for the Naval Medical Services. Presently, the School runs 7 medical professional courses in Health Information Management, Dental Therapy and Environmental Health at diploma level. Others include Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory and Radiography at Technician levels. The Health Information Management department was established since inception of the school as part of courses run in NNCHS Offa. The department produces skilled professionals trained health information management to process patient into……………
The equipment and facilities for training in the College include: Demonstration room, ICT room, Audio-visual studio and conductive classrooms.
The course is currently run in the College, and open only to NN personnel who have successfully passed the NN Basic Medical Qualifying Course. They must have also met JAMB cut off mark of the College, and the requirements of the HRORBN for indexing.
The basic requirement for fresh students who are desirous to study Health Information Management as a course is a minimum of 5 credits in basic science subjects in not more than 2 sittings in either of NECO/WAEC/GCE. Also, students are expected to have passed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Examination. This requirement was prescribed by the NBTE for the purpose of maintaining the standard for the award of a HND in Health Information Management, after 4 years of the course.
The duration of the Health Information Management Course is 4 years. This will be followed immediately by one-year Internship, and mandatory one-year NYSC which military personnel will be exempted. The programme is designed to encompass new topics obtainable in the contemporary training of Health Information Managers as enshrined in the approved curriculum by the HRORBN and NBTE. During the 4 years, the students are scheduled to proceed for practical attachment in Health Clinics/Hospitals and Local Government Area Councils.
The Department runs an academic programme in line with the curriculum provisions of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and Health Records Officers Registration Board of Nigeria (HRORBN). The Programme facilitates instructive learning, and field practice sufficient to graduate qualified Health Information Management students, capable of practicing contemporary Health Information Management procedures. The programme is designed to give the students an opportunity to learn and qualify as Health Record Officers, thereby making them relevant in the Nigerian Navy (NN), Tri-service hospitals and the country in general. The Department received full accreditation from the HRORBN and the NBTE in July 2020 to run the programme.
The Health Information Management department offers a unique programme, which provides quality educational experiences in a friendly, caring and professional environment. This would enable the students upon graduation to launch themselves into the responsibilities of a working life with confidence and competence. Upon completion of the entire programme, the students would be awarded the HND degree in Health Information Management. This would be followed by a professional examination conducted by the HRORBN, leading to registration and licensing of its graduates to practice as a professional Health Information Management Officer.
