Online Reporter
Midlands Bureau
A TELE-MEDICINE virtual hospital has been commissioned by Government in Chirumanzu in one of the major milestones by the Second Republic to ensure quality and affordable health care services for rural communities.
The tele-medicine virtual hospital is one of the 22 such facilities that have been established in the country through a collaboration between NetOne and Zimstart Village.
The initiative, spearheaded by the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, is in line with the National Development Strategy 1 as it revolutionises the healthcare delivery system in Zimbabwe by targeting remote areas and making sure that patients there can have high-quality care previously reserved for major urban areas.
The facility allows patients to do consultations with doctors online thereby cutting the problem of distance while ensuring that communities get the best healthcare services in their localities.
Villagers of Chirumanzu commended Government for the initiative which they said will go a long way in health care delivery in the area.
“I want to thank the Second Republic for coming up with such a wonderful health care facility here.
“We are now experiencing the same services they have in big cities. We are witnessing some massive changes in our area,” said Mrs Virginia Mlambo.
Another villager, Mr Aaron Shumba said the new health facility will help cut the long distances they have been travelling to get even a sniff of urban-standards of care.
“We are very happy with the new development. We are enjoying the development being done in our area.
“We have been walking a very long distance to Mvuma District Hospital and now we have a health facility at our door step,” he said.
Local Member of Parliament, Cde Barbra Rwodzi said Government will continue to come up with initiatives meant to turn around the livelihoods of previously marginalised communities.
“This was an idea from the Presidium meant to help rural communities to get quality health care and deal with cancer and other ailments affecting societies.
“The President’s vision is quite clear,” she said.
The tele-medicine initiative strongly supports the Second Republic’s Vision 2030 agenda of becoming an upper-middle-income society by leveraging digital solutions to address healthcare challenges.
Chief Medical Officer ZimSmart Villages Dr Admore Jokwiro hailed the development.
“The opening of the Chirumanzu telehealth kiosk marks a significant milestone in our quest to establish a virtual hospital for patients with chronic conditions in the country.
“This marks a realisation in democratising access to healthcare in that the people of Chirumanzu will now be able to access doctors through the tele-health facility.
“They will also be able to access medicine through a telepharmacy system, which we are working in partnership with Zimbabwe Postal Services,” he said
“They will also be able to access (information on) wellness, screening for preventive health (problems) and diagnostics as well. And our partnership with the Premier Medical Aid Services as you saw today, also enables civil servants who use PSMAS Medical Aid to be able to access services.”
