DIGITAL applications will be more available in due course in the provision of health services in Zanzibar following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tancloud Co. Ltd, a local cloud computing firm and Electronic Health Network, a UK firm, to build digital networks in the Zanzibar health sector.

Nassor Ahmed Mazrui, the Health minister, said after signing the agreement here over the weekend, that this arrangement is meant to modernise and effectively provide online health services countrywide.

With the networking system, Zanzibar residents will receive prompt medical attention tailored to their health needs, a move promising significant benefit for the community.

He pointed at a range of reforms expected further improve health sector services, with intent to make the noted tourist destination also a hub for medical visitations from across East Africa.

The major focus is to enhance investments in quality infrastructure and competent medical staff to facilitate the provision of quality health services, he said, outlining government objectives of aligning the services with wider regional and international standards.

He picked the Indian example as a sector role model, where the government also seeks to provide equivalent care for f residents opting to seek medical care outside Zanzibar.

With the changes, Zanzibaris will have far less need to seek medical treatment abroad, while also seeking to attract people in the neighbourhood to consider Zanzibar for upgraded medical care, he said.

The government will ensure health protection for the vast majority of people “and everyone should understand that their health is their investment because, without health, there is no investment,” he stated.

Zanzibar will be recognised as a centre of health investment, he said, projecting that shortly there will be significant changes in healthcare services, “transforming the provision of health services for everyone to receive reliable care promptly, satisfied with the services they receive.”

He discounted assertions on the role of the private sector, affirming that the government has not privatized health services in district, regional or referral hospitals. Instead, it is collaborating with the private sector to enhance hospital management and improve efficiency, he explained.

Many people prefer seeking private hospital services, often spending substantial amounts of money while those who cannot afford such costs rely on donations, he said.

The government compensates the private sector for providing treatment in government hospitals at no cost to patients, he said, stressing that this initiative reflects compassion on the part of health authorities under the leadership of President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi. 

Patients receive free treatment while the government reimburses the private sector institutions involved for their services, the minister noted, saying of the agreements as aiming to introduce modern technology in hospitals and health centres.

This includes systems for drug procurement and distribution, where Dr Sumeya Okod, the Tancloud Co. Ltd director, stating that the firm is prepared to provide top-notch technology, efficiently aligning with the ministry’s objectives.

The six-year agreement is valued at over $170m, where the primary focus will be on utilising advanced digital technology to enhance healthcare services, she added.