The vision of ‘affordable quality care for all’ is realistic. New ways of working are required, blended with old wisdom. What is most noticeable in Africa is that everyone has a mobile phone and uses it extensively. For many Africans mobile phones have an important place in everyday life. This is due to the poor physical and institutional infrastructure. A mobile phone eases communication and transactions (purchases, water bills, electricity, insurance, etc.). Services and payments have become much more transparent. In addition, there are no ICT ‘legacy’ problems.
This development accelerates as a new generation grows up; better educated, better informed about todays’ world, and eager for change.
Affordable quality care for all will become possible through adequate ICT solutions, data-driven organizational improvement and better financing of health care. eCareAccess addresses these drivers for innovation and sustainable development. Tools developed and applied by Africans for Africans.
A number of projects have shown that a performance jump is possible. Examples to which eCareAccess members have contributed are:
Mali
Doctors from several hospitals in Mali have agreed to send X-rays electronically to a central hospital where a team able to make a diagnosis is always on stand-by. A simple technical solution was devised and is implemented jointly to convert the analogue images into a digital format. The doctors collaborate at a distance and agree on the diagnosis. This works well in practice. The project is already running well and has operated without any external support since 2011. Eight (8) hospitals in remote rural areas are now connected to the radiology department of the central hospital in Bamako. Eighty-six (86) doctors are involved and the number of cases varies from 700 to 1100 per year.
Tanzania
A number of hospitals in Tanzania have introduced an electronic system for patient registration, patient record management and logistic support. Nurses and doctors get an additional bonus if they use the system properly. Hospital income increases by 30% and ultimately one can manage on the basis of the information provided and compile and maintain an accurate medical report. The eHealth system is maintained locally. Because the benefits exceed the costs, other investments can also be made at the hospital.
Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, this goes one step further by linking the hospital system to an eVoucher. The target group – low-income expectant mothers – get a voucher for their pregnancy, birth and aftercare. Cash-in-hand money is paid per mobile phone. The whole system is paperless including the process of reporting to the health authorities and presenting the health statistics. It has been in operation since the end of 2015 in 10 hospitals in the cities of Harare and Bulawayo.