Vodacom has partnered with
the Free State Department of Health to launch two cutting-edge digital health
solutions that are aimed at providing patients with excellent medical care in
public hospitals across the Free State province.
By reducing the risk associated with medical
malpractice lawsuits and improving efficiencies, this is a move that is going
to provide scores of people in the Free State Province, who depend on public
health with excellent medical care in line with government’s ideals of “Batho
Pele,” putting people first in all public service touchpoints through the use
of technology.
Evah Mthimunye, Managing Executive for Vodacom
Central Region commented: “Vodacom is a Purpose-led organisation and our
mission is to ensure that the potential offered by digital connectivity is
fully harnessed by all people, irrespective of their background and social
standing. In this regard, we are using our technological capabilities to
provide government, our long-standing partner, digital solutions that are
geared towards solving real challenges they face in their pursuit to service
members of the public better. Therefore, the solutions that we are launching
today will go a long way in ensuring that government owned hospitals in Free
State provide ordinary citizens with improved medical care.”
“We have
embarked on a journey to modernise and transform service delivery through
technology. This launch marks an important milestone as we officially
implemented strategic digital projects that will propel our province to the
forefront of the digital future. The combined effect of all digital health
solutions will greatly strengthen service delivery in the Free State. These
solutions are aligned to our e-Health Strategy and the vision of rolling out
universal healthcare through the NHI,” said Free State Premier, Mxolisi Dukwana.
The Free State MEC for Health, Mathabo Leeto
commented: “The solutions integrate into a wider digital ecosystem that our
Digital Health Strategy envisions. Once fully constituted, this ecosystem will
unite providers, specialists, laboratories, pharmacies, emergency services and
administrators through shared data and insights. This is the backbone of the
National Health Insurance. These digital innovations will help to
systematically address the service backlogs, quality deficits and access
barriers that our communities have grappled with for too long.”
The
solutions include Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), an efficient dispatching
system built on benchmarked standards. The CAD provides users the amazing ability to track
ambulance requests from the moment a call is logged, to the final delivery of
the patients at their destination. The solution provides a transparent platform
that effectively tracks ambulance movements, patient records, departmental
resources and equipment utilisation. The platform is also built to work with
mobile devices that are fitted into vehicles, to allow for faster and accurate
communication between agents, dispatchers and field responders. In addition,
the solution includes the Patient Report Form which ensures electronic records
of the procedures performed on the patient en-route to a medical facility.
Critically, the CAD system includes two mobile response team applications which
are fitted onto vehicles to allow the medical responders to promptly
communicate with dispatchers.
The second solution is known as the Assisted
Reality Medico-legal Surveillance System (ARMSS) provided through RealWear
wearable tablets. The ARMSS empowers frontline medical workers with hands free
voice enabled collaboration to conduct audio and visual recordings of the
various procedures medical staffers conduct. In addition, the solution helps to
safely store and forward the audio-visual recordings for reporting and
investigative purposes. Examples of the recordings include medico-legal
enquiries, tele-proctoring which allows for real time and asynchronous
recording form the providers perspective to allow first-hand observations,
remote expert guidance, visual assistance, IoT data, digital workflow
capabilities and document navigation.
Critically, the solution leverages
telecommunications offerings such as mobile devices, SIM connectivity and
Mobile Device Management software solutions and other advanced technologies.
The solution falls within the ambit of the RT-15 contract and is designed to
practically respond to various pillars of the Presidential Health Compact and
the commitments of the Free State Department of Health’s Medium Term Strategic
Framework.