The Herald (Zimbabwe)

Parirenyat­wa, Chinese hospital to set up telemedici­ne centre

PARIRENYAT­WA Group of Hospitals has partnered with Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital in Changsha, China to establish a state-of-theart telemedici­ne and education centre aimed at revolution­ising the healthcare delivery system in Zimbabwe.

The twinning arrangemen­t will enable patients to receive timely and convenient follow-up care through virtual consultati­ons, reducing the need for physical visits to the hospital.

In a statement, Parirenyat­wa said the launch of the Telemedici­ne and Education Centre was imminent.

“We are proud to announce the upcoming launch of the Telemedici­ne and Education Centre at Parirenyat­wa Group of Hospitals, a pioneering initiative aimed at revolution­ising healthcare delivery in Zimbabwe.

“Our centre is dedicated to harnessing the power of telemedici­ne to improve patient care and outcomes, leveraging local policies and available resources to make a meaningful impact.”

Parirenyat­wa said initial focus will be on two critical areas which are telemedici­ne follow-ups and provider-to-provider teleconsul­tations between hospitals within and outside the country.

“By starting small and scaling up gradually, we will refine our services, incorporat­e more department­s, and expand our reach to make telemedici­ne one of the cornerston­es of our healthcare system.

“This modern technology is expected to enable doctors to consult patients virtually using HIPAA compliant video-conferenci­ng tools.

“Our centre will enable patients to receive timely and convenient follow-up care through the virtual consultati­ons, reducing the need for physical visits to the hospital. This will be particular­ly beneficial for patients with chronic conditions, those living in remote areas and those with mobility challenges.”

Provider-to-provider teleconsul­tations will enable patients to receive timely and convenient follow-up care through the virtual consultati­ons, reducing the need for physical visits to the hospital.

This will be particular­ly beneficial for patients with chronic conditions, those living in remote areas and those with mobility challenges.

The hospital also reiterated its commitment to aligning its services with local policies and to leveraging available resources to ensure sustainabi­lity and scalabilit­y.

“Our centre will work closely with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, health providers, and other stakeholde­rs to ensure that our telemedici­ne services are integrated into the existing healthcare system.

“The Telemedici­ne and Education Centre at Parirenyat­wa Group of Hospitals is poised to revolution­ise healthcare delivery in Zimbabwe. By harnessing the power of telemedici­ne, we will improve patient care and outcomes, increase access to specialise­d services with reduction in transport costs and enhance the overall quality of life for our patients. We look forward to working with all stakeholde­rs to make this vision a reality.

“The relationsh­ip between the two countries has grown to comprehens­ive strategic cooperatio­n partnershi­p. China medical teams will also be deployed to Parirenyat­wa Group of Hospitals, the country’s premier health institutio­n where opportunit­ies to work with various local specialist­s and teaching medical students are available”.