VP Mnangagwa hails ICTs reliability

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Reporter
Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said improved information communication technology application in clinical laboratories has enhanced the reliability of medical tests and reduced by 50 percent the time for results to come out.

Officially opening the 4th African Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine congress in Harare on Monday evening, VP Mnangagwa said the ICT application also reduced laboratory analytical errors.

“Improved ICT application has in turn enhanced the turn-around time of results in some cases by 50 percent and reduced laboratory analytical errors,” he said.

“This has greatly enhanced the quality of the reliability and validity of the results needed by doctors to make clinical decisions in 80 percent of the patients.”

The congress brought together 150 clinical laboratory practitioners from different African countries and started in Harare on Saturday. It ends tomorrow.

The clinical laboratory practitioners are sharing and exchanging knowledge and scientific results under the theme: “Integrating Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine in Evidence Based (Personalised, Preventative, Predictive and Participatory) Medicine”.

VP Mnangagwa said the congress would produce results that should assist African governments improve their health infrastructure.

“This 4th congress will give an opportunity for delegates to share information, knowledge and clinical research results so that African governments can make informed policies to enable them to provide health infrastructure to their medical institutions,” he said.

Speaking at the same occasion, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said her ministry’s thrust was to transform the country’s high literacy rate into economic development in line with the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset).

“The ministry’s thrust is that of supporting Zimbabwe’s socio-economic transformation by producing competent human capital and promotion of science, technology and innovation,” she said.

“As such, Zimbabwe has a high literacy rate which stands at over 91 percent. What is required is for us as a country, through science and technology, to transform the literacy rate into economic development and improved livelihoods.

“For example, in the medical fraternity, we have produced a lot of pharmacists, bio-chemists and doctors.”

University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura said the congress coincided with the institution’s 60th anniversary commemorations.

He said the UZ had recorded remarkable achievements over the 60-year period and that thousands of its graduates now occupied influential positions globally.