Hospital to cut patients’ waiting time

Assistant director of Diagnostics Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr Charles Massambu (Right), and the director of Nursing at the Aga Khan Hospital, Ms Lucy Hwai (Left), launch the first and only Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and Radiology Information System (RIS) in Tanzania in Dar es Salaam yesterday. Second left is chief Operating officer at the Aga Khan Health Services Sisawo Konteh and Associate Dean of the Aga Khan University Hussein Kdanto. PHOTO | VENANCE NESTORY

What you need to know:

  • The hospital yesterday unveailed the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and Radiology Information System (RIS) to help speed up turnover times for patients.

Dar es Salaam. The Aga Khan Hospital is to deploy technology that will significantly reduce waiting time for patients’ diagnosis.

The hospital yesterday unveailed the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and Radiology Information System (RIS) to help speed up turnover times for patients.

With the new technology, patients will now wait for 30 minutes for basic modalities instead of 2 hours.

High end operations with a turnover time of 24 hours will now take only 12 hours, according officials who presided over the lauch of the new service that is touted as the first in Tanzania.

Speaking at the launch yesterday, the assistant director of Diagnostics Services, Dr Charles Massambu, said the modernised PACS/RIS system will improve the care and safety of patients.

“The fully-fledged system will facilitate the lowest turn over times for patients to receive their diagnosis and improve the continuity of care” said Dr Massambu.

With the system, there will be no need for patients to walk around with films as their repective historical record will be migrated to the system and make it accessible anywhere in the country.

“We will reduce stationary usage such as paper and film in every form by 90 per cent to make Aga Khan Hospital go green,”, Dr Massambu said.

Present at the launch the Chief Operating Officer Mr Sisawo Konteh said the PACS/RIS system will deliver quality services

“With the introduction of the revolutionary system, service delivery in its entirety will facilitate quality care, effective diagnosis and continuity of care regardless of where the patients are,” said Sisawo.

The officials noted that the hospital continues to innovate to lessen the burden on patients. The technology used by the system is relatively new in the country.