PARI TO ESTABLISH TELEMEDICINE CENTRE

Talent Gore

PARIRENYATWA Hospital is set to establish a state-of-the-art Telemedicine Centre, which will improve the provision of remote health care.

The hospital partnered with Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital in China and, so far, US$61 000 has been injected into the project.

China medical teams will also be deployed to Parirenyatwa Hospital.

The arrangement will enable patients to receive timely and convenient follow-up care through virtual consultations, reducing the need for physical visits to the hospital.

Speaking to journalists during a tour of the Telemedicine Centre, head of telemedicine and education centre Dr Yvete Turugari said the centre will improve patient care and outcomes, increase access to specialised services, with reduction in transport costs, and enhance the overall quality of life for patients.

“The centre is dedicated to harnessing the power of telemedicine to improve patient care and outcomes, leveraging local policies and available resources to make a meaningful impact,” she said.

She said initial focus will be on two critical areas, which are telemedicine follow-ups and provider-to-provider teleconsultations between hospitals within and outside the country.

“By starting small and scaling up gradually, we will refine our services, incorporate more departments and expand our reach to make telemedicine one of the cornerstones of our healthcare system,” Dr Turugari said.

“This modern technology is expected to enable doctors to consult patients virtually using HIPAA compliant video-conferencing tools.

“The centre will enable patients to receive timely and convenient follow-up care through the virtual consultations, reducing the need for physical visits to the hospital. 

“This will be particularly beneficial for patients with chronic conditions, those living in remote areas and those with mobility challenges.” 

She added that provider-to-provider teleconsultations will enable patients to receive timely and convenient follow-up care through the virtual consultations, reducing the need for physical visits to the hospital. 

“This will be particularly beneficial for patients with chronic conditions, those living in remote areas and those with mobility challenges,” Dr Turugari said.