Many clinics in rural Uganda don’t keep medical records – or, if they do, they’re haphazard and incomplete.
He worked with a software expert to design a simple electronic medical records system for laptop computers that, by using drop-down menus, enables clinic staff to keep a record of patients’ medical histories. Now the project is saving lives.
A local carrying a load of bananas along a muddy road near one of the clinics. Many of the locals are subsistence farmers(Image: )
Here are extracts from Dr Smith’s Uganda journal:
Wednesday, October 8:
“Today we set off to visit four clinics two hours away from proper roads, so most of the day is spent on muddy roads as it is the rainy season.
First is Bukhaweka, a clinic in a remote area inaccessible for much of the wet season. Nearly all the patients rely on subsistence farming. Most are illiterate. There are no nappies for babies.
Martin and Noreen are working efficiently and using the system to its full potential. The clinic is now paperless!
Next I went further up the mountain to Matuwa where I met William and Emma who have over 30,000 patients on the system. Emma is very computer literate and they commented on the benefits of (keeping a record of) drugs on the system, and the ease of seeing many patients.
Patients at a clinic in eastern Uganda where Outreach EMR operates(Image: )
Next we went to Bushika government clinic at the bottom of the mountain where we met Ronald and Brian. Ronald is a newly qualified clinician. He is quick on the uptake and is training other members of staff. They estimate that 120 lives have been saved by the introduction of the EMRs.
Thursday, October 9:
“Today we visited Bushika FIMRC clinic. They see 100 patients a day and even have a maternity unit. They have eight computers in consultation rooms, lab, pharmacy and reception, all linked. Their volume of work would not be possible without our system.
So many initiatives in Africa end when the financial aid ends. After this project we are confident the concept of EMRs will be here for ever.”
(York press)