For residents of Chikomba, accessing healthcare has often involved travelling considerable distances. However, the launch of the NetOne at 30 Medical Outreach and Telemedicine Programme is helping to change that reality by bringing essential health services closer to the community.
The initiative, being implemented in partnership with ZimSmart Villages, is providing residents with free medical screenings, consultations and medicines. Through telemedicine, the programme is also enabling patients to access healthcare professionals remotely using digital technology.
The outreach has received a positive response from community members, who welcomed the initiative as a practical response to the challenges they face in accessing healthcare services.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Information Communication Technologies, Postal and Courier Services, Hon. Tatenda Mavetera, commended NetOne for using technology to address challenges affecting communities and support national development.
She highlighted the importance of using connectivity for more than communication, saying technology can play a significant role in making essential services more accessible to people.
For NetOne, the Chikomba programme demonstrates how telecommunications infrastructure can be used to create tangible benefits for communities.
NetOne Public Relations Manager Mr Ernest Magadzire said:
“Connectivity should give people more than the ability to communicate; it should give them access to possibilities. In Chikomba, we are using the technology and connectivity we have built over 30 years to help bring healthcare closer to people who have traditionally travelled long distances to access it.”
He said the company’s 30th anniversary presented an opportunity to focus on how technology can contribute further to Zimbabwe’s development.
“As NetOne celebrates 30 years of connecting Zimbabwe, our ambition is to turn every connection into an opportunity – an opportunity to access healthcare, knowledge, markets, services and solutions that can transform lives.”
The collaboration with ZimSmart Villages highlights the potential of partnerships between the telecommunications, healthcare and community development sectors to address challenges affecting local communities.
The programme is also aligned with the government’s Vision 2030, which places technology, innovation and inclusive development at the heart of Zimbabwe’s development agenda.
NetOne also recognised the continued efforts of First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, Patron of Health, in promoting the health and wellbeing of communities across the country.
For the people of Chikomba, the programme represents more than the provision of medical services. It is helping reduce the distance between communities and healthcare while demonstrating how technology can improve access to essential services.
As NetOne celebrates three decades of connecting Zimbabwe, the Chikomba initiative provides an example of how connectivity can evolve beyond communication to become a tool for delivering services, creating opportunities and improving lives.
NetOne at 30 connecting communities to a healthier and more hopeful future.
