Martin Endjala
The Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) has begun the rollout of tablet devices at all clinics countrywide to streamline the retrieval of patient test results.
The NIP’s chief executive officer, Kapena Tjombonde revealed this on Friday at a media engagement event in Windhoek.
“This initiative is aimed at cutting out the long waiting hours. Once the tests are completed, NIP will then inform the clinic and the results are automatically loaded on the system, which can be accessed via the tablets that we are installing countrywide,” she explained.
So far, the NIP has placed 170 tablets in remote public health facilities, with plans to deploy an additional 209 tablets, bringing the total number to 379.
“The NIP is indispensable in the healthcare continuum. It is at the heart of healthcare delivery. 70% of medical decisions are based on laboratory results,” she said.
With a staff complement of 501, the NIP performs about 3.9 million tests per year.
The tablet rollout is just one aspect of the NIP’s broader five-year Integrated Strategic Business Plan (ISBP), dubbed the “Za Tuka Strategy,” which focuses on improving operational efficiency, profitability, and service delivery.
“Za Tuka,” a Rukwangali term meaning “the plane has taken off,” symbolises the NIP’s ambitious journey toward success despite the challenges encountered along the way.
“Though the journey thus far has been turbulent, we remain focused on improving operational efficiency. We are creating a future-fit NIP. The primary focus is on our people, processes, and technology,” she indicated.
In addition to the tablet initiative, the NIP is upgrading its infrastructure and equipment.
Tjombonde said that the NIP will open a centre of excellence (COE) next year, thereby indicating that the much-talked-about lack of paternity tests will become a thing of the past.
Currently, the NIP charges roughly N$1 200 for each DNA test, after which it packages and ships samples for testing to South Africa.
“We have redesigned our operating model and are setting up CoEs in selected regions,” she said.
Chief operations officer, Vincent Nowaseb said that the NIP transitioned to a new web-based laboratory information system in April that allows instant access to patient results via mobile devices.
