CIMAS Health Group has called on Zimbabwean innovators, start-ups and universities to develop practical, home-grown solutions to address persistent healthcare challenges while helping to improve access, affordability and service delivery.
This emerged during the launch of the third edition of the Cimas Group Healthathon which will run from June 22 to July 12 under the theme Reimagining Healthcare through Disruptive Innovation.
Addressing journalists, CIMAS Health Group managing director Vulindlela Ndlovu said the country’s healthcare system continued to face significant challenges, such as rising costs, fragmented services and limited access to quality healthcare.
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“I believe that Zimbabwe cannot afford to be left behind, not because we just want to jump onto the bandwagon, but we have real issues to deal with,” he said.
“Access is not as good as we would like it to be and affordability is a continuing cry.
“We operate a medical aid and daily, we seem to be chasing our tail in terms of shortfalls and co-payments.”
Ndlovu said the country’s healthcare challenges should be viewed as an opportunity to innovate and develop practical solutions capable of transforming lives.
“These challenges also present an opportunity to rethink our healthcare, to innovate broadly and to create practical solutions that can improve lives.”
Ndlovu described Healthathon 3 as more than a competition, highlighting that it is intended to become a national platform for innovation and problem solving.
“It is a national platform for ideas, talent, collaboration, and for problem solving and we are inviting Zimbabwean innovators to reimagine the future of healthcare.
“It is more than competition and it must lead to impact, addressing some of the problems that we have and a source of inspiration,” he said.
He called on innovators to focus on locally-developed solutions capable of producing scalable solutions tailored to local realities rather than relying on imported technologies.
“Home-grown innovation is very important to us. We need practical and scalable solutions that address our local realities and challenges, while also having the potential to be expanded and adopted globally.”
Ndlovu revealed that CIMAS hopes the initiative will create a pipeline of pilot-ready innovations capable of strengthening healthcare delivery in the country.
“Our vision is simply not to host an event, but to open a pipeline of pilot-ready innovations that can strengthen healthcare delivery in Zimbabwe.”-newsday
