Wenslus Murape
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke recently in UMP
Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe (UMP) District is leading the way in digital health transformation, with all 22 health facilities now fully equipped with electronic health records.
The district pioneered Impilo, a system for creating and maintaining electronic health records, aimed at enhancing data collection, management, and patients’ care for improved health outcomes.
Speaking during a media tour of health facilities implementing the system last week, UMP district medical officer Dr Gladman Mubonani said the district was enjoying the numerous benefits of the digital solutions.
“As of now, we have managed to eliminate eight paper-based registers and there are plans to eliminate 14 more. Electronic health records have improved patient records safety, it has also improved efficiency in our service delivery system as well as our supply chain management systems as we can manage our drug stocks. It has also helped us in reducing medical errors because the system corrects our practitioners whenever they make errors in the dosing,” he said.
The district has been playing a leading role in training other districts in the country on the implementation of electronic health records.
Dr Mubonani said all departments were now using the electronic system, creating an efficient workflow.
The integration of the electronic health records system into laboratory services has improved patient care.
Said Ms Josephine Nhapi, a lab technician at Mtawatawa District Hospital: “Electronic records can be accessed quickly and easily, unlike the paper registers that we were using. Any health worker can access it so if a nurse wants to search for a patient’s results, they can easily log in to the electronic health record and get the results. If the results are not there, they can quickly notify the lab and the results are positive thus assisting in effective patient management,” she said.
The district has ensured that all health workers receive training to use the system.
At Mashambanhaka Clinic, the first facility to implement the system, all workers are using the digital system.
Sister Itai Katsande, a primary care nurse at the facility, said on-the-job training had helped them to move from paper registers to the digital system.
“We are happy with the system because it is fast compared to the old system. We have removed some of the registers and patient cards, which were a burden for us,” she said.
Online Reporter
