BHF360° | DECEMBER 2020
REGIO NAL U PDAT E
NAMIBIA
COVID-19 spurs technology revolution in Namibian healthcare The challenge will lie in how respective legislation frameworks will need to be aligned to provide clear guidance and ensure that services meet the minimum quality standards.
T
he far-reaching effects of COVID-19 did not leave Namibia unscathed. Namibia was in some respects fortunate to be able to learn from other countries’ experiences as its confirmed cases were slower to escalate than in most other countries. However, we still faced
unique challenges, not least of which resulted from our continued reliance on neighbouring countries for the importation of many goods. The private hospitals formed an efficient and effective alliance, working together to make private
isolation facilities available for those Namibians on a private medical aid fund and absorbing any overflow from state facilities. Windhoek’s four largest private hospitals devised an action plan to manage the projected influx of postitive COVID-19 cases with a phased-in approach. This proved to be very successful and a commendable achievement. The Namibian Association of Private Health Facilities (NAPH) took charge of the dissemination of information received from the Ministry of Health and Social Services, and any other relevant institutions, to all private healthcare facilities. COVID-19 assisted with the technology revolution by changing current mentalities. Medical aid funds learned, contrary to previous convictions, that they
Callie Schafer, Principal Officer at Namdeb Medical Aid Scheme
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could provide effective services remotely. Technology advances allowed call centre and managed care services staff, as well as claims processing personnel, to work from home while continuing to monitor both quality and output. The establishment of telemedicine as a means to provide care became a reality and has been adopted by some funds. Telemedicine is a cost-effective solution to provide broader access to private healthcare services, especially given the vast expanse of Namibia. It is well accepted that telemedicine will continue to gain momentum. The challenge will lie in how respective legislation frameworks will need to be aligned to provide clear guidance and ensure that services meet the minimum quality standards.
