This was announced during the e-Health policy and strategy three-day Southern African regional workshop at the Ezulwini Sun Hotel.
The ongoing workshop was attended by delegates from the Commonwealth Secretariat office in London and senior health officials from five countries, namely; Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Swaziland.
Minister of Heath Benedict Xaba, speaking during the official opening, said he believed the workshop would go a long way in ensuring that African developing countries contribute meaningfully to the economic, social and technological development of their respective countries.
“The workshop is for leaders who are ready to complete their first or update their existing heath policies and strategies but it is also for the betterment and development of Africa as a continent. During these workshop deliberations let us work together in unity and share ideas so that we can be proud to say we have done it together, for healthy Africa,” said Xaba.
The minister was represented by the acting Principal Secretary Sikelela Dlamini. Meanwhile, Tom Jones from Tanjent Consultancy working with the Commonwealth office in London emphasised on the need to make a purely Swazi policy.
“The e-Health system has to be made to suit the country it is being formulated for, and not try to copy from other countries because it may be quite challenging to implement,” said Jones.
The policy focuses on investing on information, communication technologies (ICT) and the oragnisational changes needed to improve health and healthcare.
Meanwhile, Health Management and Information Systems Manager Zanela Simelane said the e-Health and mobile- health (m-Heath) will improve health provision immensely and lessen the costs of securing medication for Swazis.
She said it was an honour to have all heath leaders visit Swaziland to make a positive impact towards helping the country improve health.
“What we have met to discuss, today is a magnificent initiative which, among other things, will help Swaziland offer international health standards using the latest technologies,” said Simelane.
Further, she said India had already donated highly technological machinery that would be used to implement the terms of the policy.
Five critical factors to implement the e-health system
Kenyan Head of the e-Heath division in the Ministry of Medical Services Dr Mbolowa Mbikusita Lewanika, as one of the countries already implementing the technological initiative, made the following points of advice to Swaziland:
- Core group tasked to pioneer the initiative need to be very dedicated.
- Inform the public about the campaign prior to implementation.
- Keep time because the time scale determines it efficiency.
- Be patient, since it would take time for programme to run smoothly.
- Be persistent, since there could be many challenges in implementation.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Kwanele Dhladhla
Quelle/Source: The Swazi Observer, 24.06.2011
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