The issue of conditions of service and tools of trade for health workers has remained a topical issue for some time, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Constantino Chiwenga during the Ministry’s conference in Victoria Falls once again assured the health workers that Cabinet was looking into their issue. 

 COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing severe illness and death from Covid-19.
 Getting vaccinated protects you, your friends, your workmates, your family and the nation at
large. It also helps bring us close to the end of COVID-19 as a nation.
 Vaccination protects against all variants of COVID-19 and people should continue to get
vaccinated even when new variants come
 Vaccines provide protection against long COVID which has been linked with the ongoing
omicron variant outbreak
 Parents and caregivers should encourage and allow children from 12 years upwards to get
vaccinated against Covid-19
 Youths like any other population group are at risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19
among their networks and at home and hence should be vaccinated.
 Covid-19 vaccines protect children in the same way that routine childhood vaccines do
 Communities should continue to take actions to slow down and eventually stop the spread of
the virus, even after being vaccinated
 Pregnant and breast-feeding women at significantly higher risk of contracting COVID-19 can
be vaccinated after getting adequate information from health care workers about the
vaccines in use and available research data.
 Living with HIV is not a contraindication for vaccination. As with other chronic conditions
people living with HIV (PLHIV) should be vaccinated and protected from severe COVID-19.
 It is not true that people who receive COVID-19 vaccines will die after 2 years. There is no
scientific basis for that rumour and it should not affect your decision to get vaccinated.
Similarly concerns about losing fertility after vaccination are unfounded and not backed by
research evidence.
 If for any reason you are worried about your condition after vaccination visit your nearest
health centre or vaccination post for advice.
 Remember, it’s not vaccines that will stop the pandemic, its vaccination!
 Getting vaccinated is safer than getting infected with SARS Cov-2 infection

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Cabinet has given the greenlight on the proposed modules and implementation matrix for the National Health In-Service Training and Induction Programme under the Public Service Academy as presented by the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Honourable Professor Paul Mavhima.

Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Honourable Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday in a post-Cabinet media briefing disclosed that Cabinet had given the greenlight for the deployment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in delivering health services.

Minister Mutsvangwa disclosed that a telemedicine pilot project was being rolled out which would enable two-way communication between physicians and patients in remote areas.

 “Government wishes to advise that a pilot telemedicine project valued at US$357 632 is being implemented in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

“The pilot project entails the use of ICTs to facilitate the provision of clinical health care using real-time two-way communication between physicians and patients at remote rural centres,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

The Minister of Information noted that the pilot project would focus on fifteen (15) health centres that would be linked to Parirenyatwa Referral Hospital allowing sharing of patient data and consultations.

“A total of 15 health centres were equipped with state-of-the-art Transportable Examination Stations (TES) comprising high-resolution autofocus examination cameras, stethoscope, a Total Vital Signs test device, a laptop, ultrasound scan devices, electrocardiography (ECG) services and blood pressure cuffs.

“All 15 centres are linked to Parirenyatwa Referral Hospital, allowing for sharing of patient data and consultations with other referral healthcare institutions,” said the Information Minister.

Minister Mutsvangwa gave out that the advantage of using the Smart Health Programme was that it would result in improved health services delivery and promote real-time decision making as well as disease management.

“The Smart Health Programme will result in improved health service delivery and efficiencies; health surveillance; health-system and records management; health education and clinical decision-making; and support for behavioural changes related to public health priorities and disease management,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

Patients enjoy the following advantages from the smart health programme are offering treatment to patients in the comfort of their homes; confidentiality of medical information; reduction in travelling costs to health facilities; high responsiveness to medical emergencies; and reduced referrals, consultation fees and mortality rates.

The telemedicine solution is part of the Impilo Virtual Health System which was launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increase in the use of ICTs in carrying out their daily duties and people working from home. Smart health initiatives such as telemedicine have proved to be very effective in overcoming barriers to health care and ensuring timely provision of services.