- Launch of a free mobile app for healthcare providers
- SafeCare4Covid App evaluates health facilities to determine if all protocols are observed
- It identifies gaps health personnel may have missed and alerts them
- It is in real time, quick and effective in COVID-19 management
PharmAccess, an international organization that seeks to improve healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa, has launched a mobile app to provide practical support for the healthcare providers.
The app, SafeCare4Covid App, is a free mobile app that helps healthcare providers deal with the coronavirus disease as the pandemic seems to linger on and healthcare providers are the ones at risk the most.
Healthcare providers in Ghana are no exception as there has been a surge in the infection rate among them. The nation and various families have lost relative healthcare professionals to the pandemic while taking care of other citizens.
It is based on this premise that SafeCare launched a globally accessible mobile app that assesses and helps to improve the healthcare providers’ capacity to manage Covid-19 patients effectively and safely.
Describing the service offered by the App, the Country Manager for SafeCare – PharmAccess in Ghana, Bonifacia Benefo Agyei referred to it as a extraordinary digital intervention in the global effort at improving safety of frontline health workers who are critical in the fight against the pandemic.
Madam Bonifacia indicated that though Covid-19 continues to be vague, the still developing healthcare system, availability of reliable, consistent and updated information on and for the management of the diseases to healthcare providers is crucial to saving the lives of millions of Ghanaians.
“This is a game changer in the stream of innovative interventions tailored to improve the quality and safety of Covid-19 related healthcare services among providers in Ghana and globally.”
With over 20 years of experience in the healthcare quality field and digital innovations, SafeCare developed the ‘SafeCare4Covid app’ using data, documentation and guidelines by the WHO.
SafeCare4Covid: HOW THE APP WORKS
Bonifacia Benefo Agyei, explained that the SafeCare4Covid platform is designed to enable facility staff to conduct a self-assessment using their own mobile devices any time of the day.
Bonifacia Benefo Agyei
She noted that the process will enable healthcare personnel rate their own performance on how efficient they observed the Covid-19 safety protocols in the facility.
She emphasized that this is a real time, quick and effective way of ascertaining the existing gaps in the health facilities’ readiness towards Covid-19 management.
“Providers [facility leaders and Managers] can evaluate the availability of equipment, supplies and staff, as well as assess their processes and knowledge to handle COVID-19 while staying safe.”
To access the app, visit covid.safe-care.org and within 30 minutes it will uncover details that your facility might have missed in preparing and maintaining a safe environment in the prevention of the spread of this global pandemic. The app is free and globally accessible.
The SafeCare Country Manager further revealed that, the SafeCare4Covid App is programmed such that, identified of gaps in important areas such supplies like PPE [personal protective equipment] and oxygen or processes like triage, cleaning and isolation will feed in to a customized quality improvement plan which the facility may use to improve its system.
This app is built to reduce the stress of healthcare facilities trying to juggle facing the challenges associated with the pandemic and still providing health services for their community.
Madam Bonifacia also disclosed that the app contains a list of 10 COVID-19 facts “did you know’’ questions to counter misinformation. In addition, it has links to webinars and access to downloadable resources including protocols and posters on Covid-19 prevention and management.
PHARMACCESS AND SAFECARE
PharmAccess (www.pharmaccess.org) is an international organization, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs and has offices in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and the Netherlands. PharmAccess seeks to advance quality of and simplify access to healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.
Within PharmAccess, SafeCare is a unique standards-based and ISQua accredited incremental approach for measuring and improving the quality of healthcare services in resource restricted settings. To date, almost 6000 SafeCare quality assessments have been performed in sub-Saharan Africa. SafeCare4Covid has been developed with the support of partners including MSDforMothers and Achmea Foundation.
