Technology boosts health provision in Namibia's northern regions

Health facilities in Namibia's Kavango West and East regions are using technology to boost health in the northern area, in efforts improve service delivery and promote the well-being of patients for sustainable development.

Senior Medical Officer at the Kavango region health facility, Godwin Chinweze, said that, a first, in May this year, they introduced 39 short message service printers that reduce the time it takes nurses and doctors to get several test results of patients.

"The use of printers improve service delivery by reducing time it takes of blood including tests related to HIV to get back to the patient," he said on Thursday.

The printers were procured through a partnership between Namibia Institute of Pathology, Ministry of Health and Social Services as well as PEPFAR and is supported by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to Chinweze, over the past years, it would take weeks or even up to a month for patients to get their results.

Now, with the new modern printers, the pathology institute, sends the results directly to the health facility.

"In the past, it would take weeks to get results. Now things have changed. With the short message printers, within 24 hours our nurses are now able to assess the results. It thus helps me as a medical official to make an informed decision and assist the patient and simultaneously promote healthy lives in the community," he added.

Rachel Comer, Deputy Director of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said that the efforts are a commitment towards sustainable development, which calls for improved health and promotion of well-being of all citizens.

"The technology ensures that people get their results on time. Which in return motivates the patients as they know that there is efficiency at the clinic and would rely on the health facilities," Comer said. Endit