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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has developed an integrated national Electronic Health Record System called Impilo, which supports health workers in following clinical protocols for priority health services and effectively monitoring and tracking patients.

Impilo Electronic Health Record System is for patient registration, management and evaluation, tracking, stock usage and tracking, and data aggregation, validation and analysis.

The system, which was entirely developed by a local technical team and licensed under the Ministry of Health and Child Care, will be deployed to five central hospitals, seven provincial hospitals, 30 district hospitals and 384 clinics across the country.

In her post Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the development of Impilo is in response to the increasingly globalised world where the threats of fast-spreading health diseases or disasters are ever-increasing.

“On a related matter, Government appreciates that, in an increasingly globalised world where the threats of fast-spreading health diseases or disasters are ever-increasing, there is need for availability of real-time data to enable efficient and effective monitoring and decision-making,” she said.

“Accordingly, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, with the support of partners has developed a comprehensive, health-centric and integrated national Electronic Health Record System called Impilo for patient registration, patient management and evaluation, patient tracking, stock usage and tracking, and data aggregation, validation and analysis.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said the Ministry of Health and Child Care has also partnered with the Global Fund through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to launch and sustain a nationwide project for broadband connectivity in the country’s top 350 health facilities, based on patient volumes.

“The launch of the solar health project previously reported at the 12th Post-Cabinet press briefing will provide the back-up power to both the electronic health record system and the internet connectivity services,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the Vice President who is also Health and Child Care Minister Constantino Chiwenga apprised Cabinet on progress made in the procurement and roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines.

She urged citizens to go to their nearest health facility to receive their Covid-19 vaccine so that the country achieves herd immunity to control the spread of the disease.

As of Monday, a total of 529 360 people had received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 161 293 their second dose across the country.

“In terms of materials production, Cabinet advises that there has been an increase in all categories of Natpharm stocks, most notably in those of gloves and disposable masks. There has also been an increase in all locally produced personal protective equipment,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She also announced that all Covid-19-positive cases reported at Prince Edward, Sacred Heart and Bonda Mission schools have fully recovered.

“Most of the cases recorded at schools in Bulawayo province since the beginning of the current school term have also recovered, with very few remaining active cases,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said the Standardised Training Modules for use in the upgraded Covid-19 training at all learning institutions have been finalised and the roll-out in all provinces is underway.

The Minister said Government continues to monitor and record teacher attendance at work on a daily basis.

She reiterated that Government will continue to apply the no-work no-pay labour principle to all cases of teacher absenteeism.

The number of teachers reporting for duty decreased since schools reopened last month as they are citing incapacitation.

According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the situation is more pronounced in Bulawayo and Harare as some teachers elsewhere have ignored the call for strike by their unions.

In Bulawayo, it was recently estimated that 50 percent of teachers have turned up for duty with pupil attendance pegged at 68 percent. — @mashnets