adminRumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland Bureau
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has made strides in improving access to health service delivery to thousands of people in remote parts of Chimanimani following the launch of the Telemedicine platform last year.
Telemedicine is an ICT-based health care model, which can be used as a tool for providing specialist medical attention to patients in any type of medical institution, especially remote rural areas with marginal or no power or telephone connection, using off-site specialists.
This model, which is being promoted in Zimbabwe and most other African countries, aims to identify and co-ordinate the use of technology for improved access to and promoting efficient delivery of cost-effective public health care systems.
The Telemedicine pilot project, which was implemented in Nyanga and Chimanimani, is a partnership between the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
Chimanimani District Medical Officer Dr Godwin Choga said the project has been instrumental in ensuring that people in remote areas have access to health care.
“We are in a harsh economic environment, so travelling is expensive for most of our patients in remote areas who cannot travel to district hospitals to get the required services but Telemedicine has been helpful. With the use of the equipment, we can send images and actually examine a patient from a distance,” he said.
He said the six facilities — Nyanyadzi Hospital, Chimanimani Hospital, Rusitu Mission Hospital, Muchadziya Clinic, Ngorima clinic and Nyahobe Clinic — that were connected to the Telemedicine equipment at Mutambara Mission Hospital were each servicing between 8 000 and 9 000 patients on average.
However, the main challenge the district was facing in the delivery of service was poor internet connectivity.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter