RGD Conducting E-Registration of Births at Eight Hospitals

The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) has commenced electronic registration (e-registration) of births at eight hospitals across the island.

They are Spanish Town, St. Catherine; Mandeville, Manchester; St. Ann’s Bay, St. Ann; Cornwall Regional, St. James; Victoria Jubilee, Kingston; Princess Margaret, St. Thomas; Annotto Bay, Portland; and May Pen, Clarendon..

Speaking with JIS News, Chief Executive Officer at the RGD, Deirdre English Gosse, informed that registration officers and assistants who are stationed at the hospitals are equipped with tablets to collect information from new mothers.

The tablets were provided through support from the Universal Service Fund (USF).

“The information collected is verified by the mother, after which that data is uploaded to the RGD’s database,” Mrs. English Gosse explained.

Highlighting the benefits of e-registration, she noted that it will improve data collection and turnaround time for the processing of information as well as ensure greater accuracy of birth certificate data.

She further indicated that the transition from registration books to tablets to collect and enter information will result in savings to the agency.

Mrs. English Gosse told JIS News that the e-registration process, which was officially launched in 2016 following pilot projects, is being well received.

She informed that the RGD is looking to reach four additional hospitals by the end of the year based on key factors, including the availability of secure Wi-Fi access in order to facilitate the uploading of information.

“Upon completion of a full roll-out of e-registration islandwide, the agency will be able to capture information of all live births into its database in a more efficient and accurate fashion,” Mrs. English Gosse noted.

The RGD has made submission to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel (CPC) to amend the legislation governing the registration of births and deaths in order to facilitate e-registration.
While the necessary amendments are being awaited, the agency is conducting e-registration simultaneously with manual registration.