Health Centers in Tanzania transform through the use of ICTs

By Nyasigo Kornel

Undoubtedly healthcare institutions in Tanzania must strive together to further the interactive sharing of healthcare knowledge and information through newer and faster ways harnessing the ‘transformational’ potential of ICT can significantly enable the health sectors to transform their unstructured processes into automated routine transactions.

ICTs have being storming the organizational changes and support in the health care industry. ICTs and Open Source Software (OSS) in specific are fundamental to enhancing knowledge and Cost effective & efficient management for better health.

According to Adam Kichawele, Director of ICT, Muhimbili National Hospital, the reason to why IT in healthcare delivery systems is so essential is that electronic transactions lower the costs of completing administrative and clinical transactions and hence improve patient care by streamlining clinical processes and creating a seamless flow of information.

Kachwele says that the ICTs has extended the distance at which patient consultations may occur through the advent of information technologies such as telemedicine as well as provision of greater protection for medical information.

He says that the use of ICTs has helped Muhimbili National Hospital in record sharing without any threat to patient privacy.

Muhimbili has been using ICTs in HIMS interlinking all health care delivery operations, in/out patients management-online admissions and appointments, wards management, pharmacy management, revenue collection and cost management, patient records management, medical information management, lab and radiology information systems and personnel management.

But the most exciting news was the availability of Open Source Software (OSS), according to Nfuka, Deputy Managing Director University Computing Centre UCC, around the world, health care software is moving from hospital-centred departmental systems, to patient-centred medical records that are distributed across networks.

He says that Open Source Software has intriguing potential to solve some of the obstacles now being encountered in this transition.

“Open Source Software reference implementations of medical record standards could speed their adoption and increase interoperability in practice. Open source software could increase the affordability of using ICT in community health networks by eliminating licence costs and reducing implementation and support charges,” says Nfuka.

In Tanzania there is an association to promote the use of the OSS in Tanzania that is known as TAFOSA.

Nfuka emphasized the regular consultation of the organization by the health care institutions so that they get all the necessary information on the OSS.


UCC being one of the pioneers of the Open Source software and ICT in general in Tanzania has been involved in several issues on how to improve the health sector by the use of ICT.

Nfuka mentions among other thing being; provision of the awareness and training on application of ICT in Health Sector, developed HMIS which is based on Access and VB

Customizing and implementing Care 2X: Integrated PHP and MySQL web based IS.


He says that UCC is currently customizing the care2X for Hindu Mandal Hospital and UDSM Health Centre.

Even in the District level, ICT has been getting its way, the NPK technologies has been implementing the health information system at Tandale Health Centre at Kinondoni Municipal.

Tandale health acre is among 27 government health facilities in Kinondoni Municipal.

NPK technologies have been able to make an acceptable social market to their ICT package that the health center accommodated it.

According to Mauri Niemi, MD information and Communication officer ELCT/ health Department, out of 20 ELCT hospitals 18 are connected to the online procurement and Inventory control that is known as MEMS and the rest will be soon.

He says that MEMS project provides the system to hospitals that make contract to buy drugs through them; in addition to ELCT hospitals 5 Catholic and 1 Anglican in the project and over 40 will be in 2 years time, meanwhile NGOs are included.

“MEMS provides medical supplies and special emphasis is quality, reliability, service, education and advice,” says Mauri.

It is believed that ICT is the key enabler and should be the conduit through which our health services evolve into streamlined, highly efficient and effective organizations removing all barriers to service, whether they be social, geographical, accessibility, etc. ICT can be the best way of achieving our health service mission of excellence in patient care, health education and research in our knowledge-based environment of now and the future.

The workshop was sponsored by International Information and communication Development (IICD) based in the Netherlands and facilitated by SWOPnet, where Uganda also got an opportunity to share the information through videoconference which took place at Tanzania Global Development and Learning Center.

Nyasigo Kornel
Cell: 0745 551 455
Email:emmakornel@yahoo.com