By Michael Gwarisa
The rollout of the Impilo Electronic Health Records (EHR) system has gained momentum, with 500 more health facilities set to adopt the technology in 2025.
These new deployments will add to the 1,197 health facilities across Zimbabwe that have already implemented the system since the project’s commencement in 2021.
Speaking in an interview with HealthTimes, Dr. Aspect Maunganidze, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Permanent Secretary, said the expansion will prioritize high-volume health facilities and strategically located sites.
Cumulatively, 1,197 facilities have been equipped with the EHR system. While this falls short of the 1,322 target, efforts are ongoing to close the gap. The target for 2025 is 500 additional health facilities, prioritizing high-volume and strategically located sites,” said Dr. Maunganidze.
The Impilo EHR system is a comprehensive, health-centric, and integrated national health record system designed for patient registration and evaluation, patient tracking, stock usage and tracking, as well as data management, aggregation, validation, and analysis.
Dr. Maunganidze noted that the system has recorded several achievements since its inception in 2021. These include the digitization of patient records, reducing reliance on paper-based documentation, and enhancing efficiency in patient care by streamlining medical history, prescriptions, and laboratory tracking.
“Other milestones of the project include enhanced data quality and reporting, supporting better public health decision-making, integration with other health information systems, improving service coordination, and the ongoing expansion of digital health capabilities, including biometric identification and patient-centered digital services,” he added.
The adoption of EHR systems in healthcare is crucial for improving service delivery, patient outcomes, and overall system efficiency. Digital records minimize errors associated with manual documentation, enhance data security, and allow seamless access to patient history for better diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, EHRs support public health efforts by providing real-time data for disease surveillance and resource planning. In an era where healthcare demands continue to grow, investing in digital health solutions ensures that medical facilities can operate with greater accuracy, speed, and coordination.
However, the project has faced its fair share of challenges, such as COVID-19-induced procurement and delivery delays, digital public infrastructure gaps—including hardware and software implementation constraints—as well as power and connectivity issues that have limited system functionality in some areas.
“To address these, efforts are focused on strengthening infrastructure, securing alternative connectivity solutions, and improving funding mechanisms to support wider deployment,” Dr. Maunganidze stated.
