Samoa has rolled out a new e-Health system that is expected to improve medical record keeping, strengthen health information and vital statistics.
The new system was launched by the caretaker Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.
Tuilaepa said Telemedicine allows patients to consult with a doctor long distance.
“It gives me great pleasure to officially launch the e-Health developments, for Samoa," he said.
Caretaker Minister of Health Faimalotoa Kika Stowers and Health Director General Leausa Dr. Take Naseri also attended the launch at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital in Motootua.
“It is mainly my conviction, that these developments will further strengthen our resolve in responding to key policy and implementation questions and enable forward planning for health and development,” said Tuilaepa.
Samoa’s e-Health Policy and Strategy 2017 to 2022 expects a greater focus on strengthening Health Information System, civil registration and vital statistics; and the Government expects no less.
E-health developments were divided into phases. Phase 1 commenced in 2020 with the implementation of supply, the Electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMIS), and Tupaia, a health data aggregation and visualization tool.
Phase 2 is the introduction of the Tamanu Mobile for patient screening and this is being utilized for the COVID19 vaccination data recording and management.
Phase 3 is the implementation of the patient-level electronic medical record (Tamanu Desktop) at the main hospital here in Moto’otua and the referral hospital at Tuasivi, Savai'i.
Phase 4 is digitizing public health reporting which also includes the establishment of the national data warehouse (DHIS2), fully integrated with Tupaia and Tamanu.