As the country proceeds with the covid-19 vaccination exercise, there have been ongoing advancements in regards to the novel coronavirus to curb its spread. MTN in partnership with NITA-U launches E-pass app that will be used to track and monitor covid-19 patients in an announcement that was made yesterday on 19th March 2021.
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MTN in partnership with NITA-U launches E-pass app to assist with Home-Based care
The brand new innovation known as the E-pass app (Electronic pass) will help the Ministry of Health track and geo-fence the movement of covid-19 patients under Home-Based Care. The Ministry of Health is currently implementing Home-Based Care to manage covid-19 patients in a bid to reduce the overwhelming numbers of patients at health centres by ensuring that non-critical patients get adequate medical services from their homes.
It took about four months to develop the E-pass app designed to monitor and track covid-19 patients at a cost of UGX460 million. MTN in partnership with NITA-U launches E-pass app and donates 400 smartphones that will come with the app installed to assist with surveillance.
Speaking at the unveiling, where MTN in partnership with NITA-U launches E-pass app, MTN Uganda General Manager for MTN Business, Ibrahim Ssenyonga said the new app will go a long away to helping government and the country to better manage resources as non-critical patients can now be monitored remotely from their locations of isolation.
He further explained, “This new app will alert the ministry of health designated officials, if in case a patient under surveillance goes outside of the planned location boundaries. That way, the ministry can minimize further spread, but also be able to locate some of the contacts in the areas where the patient might have veered off to.”
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Hospitals nation-wide experienced high numbers of covid-19 patients as the cases of infected people surged in the country. This worsened the shortage of facilities for treating patients as a result of the overwhelming numbers. As MTN in partnership with NITA-U launches E-pass app, the Ministry of Health’s Home-Based Care system will enable surveillance and treatment of non-critical patients from their areas of isolation.
NITA-Uganda Executive Director said that they are pleased with the solution as it will serve as a game-changer in the management of the COVID 19 pandemic. “We are very proud because of the local capacity we have to quickly develop an app of this kind that will change the way we manage the COVID 19 pandemic in the country. This coming at a time when the vaccine is already in the country is a big boost in government efforts to curb and minimize the spread of the pandemic,” the Executive Director said.
The Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Diana Atwine thanked MTN Uganda and NITA Uganda for this intervention saying, “It is true that management of patients was quite a nightmare for government and the health centres. We were having many people coming to hospitals that didn’t need to be there. And these were taking space for those that needed to be there the most. So this solution is very welcome and it is a win for us as a country in the management of this pandemic.”
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