UNICEF expert touts digital tech use in healthcare

TANZANIA: HEALTH experts and stakeholders called on the need for the Ministry of Health to embrace the use of digital technology in scaling up electronic medical records (EMR).

The proposed cloud-connected system, according to them, will help to revolutionise the country’s healthcare delivery, pushing for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Presenting a key topic entitled ‘ Unveiling the Power of Digital Health’ during the country’s maiden International Primary Health Care Conference (IPHC) on Wednesday, the Chief of Health at United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Wendy Erasmus, said digital technology was a vital cog to help to propel to better health care services, especially at primary level.

“For instance, in terms of children’s health care use of digital health systems, including electronic medical records, is vital to improving the subsector’s performance to the tune of much-needed zero done,” she observed.

The health experts added that the adoption of digital health was of paramount importance in attaining traceability and quick response, as well as in providing timely solutions to varied cropping up emergency cases in the primary healthcare (PHC) sector.

The Director of Information Technology (ICT) at the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Erick Kitali, said the government was however starting to take some useful initiatives to support digital transformation in the health sector.

He said the helpful initiatives were being executed from the levels of leadership and management at the primary healthcare centres.

“The goal, among others, is to ensure the country’s health sector sails in the same boat with the ongoing rapid development in technology,” he informed.

He said there was a need for stakeholders to support the further conduction of key training programmes meant to impart health professionals with practical knowledge of digital technology in the health sector.