March update: First Anniversary of our App’s launch

It has been almost a year since our custom VDrs App was launched at our very first awareness raising event at the Royal Geographic Society. What a milestone! The App has been designed specifically for the needs of clinical officers in sub-Saharan Africa to aid diagnosis and treatment advice for their patients. The technology also offers efficient and flexible reporting for the charity and the highest standards of data protection for patients.

If you follow us on Social Media, look out for our updates to share them with your circles to help us further raise awareness about the Virtual Doctors.

Congratulations to the Virtual Doctors team at Landmark Information Group who developed the already multi award winning software. They were recently honoured again as recipients of the highly commended team award at the DMGT Community Champions awards dinner. Nick Ward, Dave Clark, Paul Ross and Mark Mimer, CEO of Landmark received the award from Fran Sallas head of the DMGT community champions.

Current Challenge in the field

The devices provided to the Clinical Officers (COs) to use our service, require routine maintenance. However, the distances between Clinics and repair centres have proved challenging due the scarcity of available transport. This means that devices taken out of the field can take time to be repaired and returned to the Clinical Officer, who find themselves unable to use our service. Therefore, we require a number of standby devices already set up and ready to deploy as soon as an existing device is taken out for repair. This calls for more funds and as ever, we rely on you, our supporters, to help us with their donations. http://www.virtualdoctors.org/donatennow/

On the upside, we are glad to announce that after Siavonga early this year, we have expanded into another new district, Luangwa, a deep rural district on the borders of Zimbabwe and Mozambique close to the Zambezi River. With 6 Rural Health Centres set up, this increases the number of sites we support to a total of 31 (29 Rural Health Centres and 2 District Hospitals).

And hot off the press: the Luangwa District Health Director has requested our service for Luangwa District Hospital, which will be set up within the next week.

 

Zambian High Commission hosts Board Meeting

A meeting of the Board of Trustees was held in the Zambian High Commission in London. The event, held on 2nd March, was kindly made possible by the High Commissioner His Excellency Mr Muyeba Chikonde who attended the post meeting reception with his deputy Mrs Patricia Sikaala Chanda. The casual lunch reception was also attended by volunteers, giving them an opportunity to meet the Trustees as well as other volunteers. Another highlight of the meeting was appointment of two new trustees, James Phiri and Naggib Chakhane, bringing the number of serving trustees to eight.

Zambian News

We’re very happy to announce that Stellah, our Field Assistant in Zambia, has given birth to a baby girl. Born on 1st March, weighing 3.9kg (8lb5oz); she’s been named Fran after our Medical Director. Congratulations Stellah and welcome to the Virtual Doctors family baby Fran.

In other local news in March, Zambia beat Senegal 2-0 in the under-20s Africa Cup of Nations, joining the top four teams at the tournament qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup taking place this May in South Korea.-i