Cameroon: SW Regional Assembly, Silicon Mountain Develop App to Safeguard Patients Data

By Sonita Ngunyi Nwohtazie

BUEA, November 13, 2023 – In an expedition to find deep-rooted solutions for medical data collection in the South West Region, the Regional Assembly in collaboration with Silicon Mountain has developed a digitalized mobile app application to better safeguard patients' and doctors' medical information.

The SW-HEALTH App is still under examination as it is a stepping stone in facilitating the health sector in the region. “The SW-HEALTH App which will be renamed my companion to Health is a mobile application that will help secure patients and doctor information in the region.

“With improving the health sector in the region, the regional assembly thought it wise to secure these data because of constant information missing in hospitals that make it difficult to access the patient's former medical records,” Samuel Ndive, support staff at the South West Regional Assembly said.

"With the advancement in technology, we thought it wise to find a digitalized solution to these problems which in collaboration with Silicon Mountain we produced a digitalized mobile hospital book.”

To some health personnel present during the second examination phase of the mobile application, at the district health centre in Burea, on November 9, the innovation will upgrade the region's health data collection process and prevent patients from losing their medical data, which was usually written in booklets.

Dr Mathias Ngund DMO of Buea Health District.

Dr Mathias Ngund District Medical Officer, DMO, Buea Health District said: “Generally I would like to appreciate the Regional Assembly as well as her partner for such an innovation brought in to strengthen the health sector of the region with a digitalized mobile application. For now, we haven't started using the app in our health facilities but as soon as we start, we will be able to identify its main challenges as we familiarize ourselves with the application."

Some problems were identified and amendments, according to officials will be made to better the application in the days ahead. “After taking and exposing the SW-HEALTH app to some health personnel at the Buea district health centre, with the internet being one of the main brain facilitators of the application, it posed a serious challenge to the usage of the app as internet connection was not flexible,” Churchill Mambe, Software Engineer said.

“A solution adopted here is building another alternative where the app can be used without internet to solve the case of an emergency. This will help as patients’ data can be uploaded automatically to the application as soon as internet is stable.”

“Another challenge raised was the issue of the availability of tablets, or computers which the Regional Assembly will make provision to the various health centres in the region alongside internet connection," he added.

It should be emphasized that with or without smartphones, patients can equally have all their medical data secured and safe in the application. The SW-HEALTH App has been applauded by many in the region and is impatiently waiting to start familiarizing themselves with the application in their various health centres.

Churchill Mambe added: “If a patient does not have a smartphone, he or she will be given a pin and should be a holder of a telephone number which will be given to the patients. These two requirements will be used in registering them in the system and logging in to the patient's account hence securing her medical information which can be examined by any medical doctor.”