Cellphone technology is being used worldwide to improve primary healthcare – and South Africa has not been left behind.
In August 2014 the national health department launched a mobile service for expecting mothers in the Eastern Cape. Mom-Connect gives pregnant women access to primary healthcare as soon as they register.
The programme is aimed at capacitating expectant mothers and improving communication between nurses and pregnant women.
The system is also used to provide feedback by way of ratings, compliments and complaints about public health services to a central communication centre.
Mom-Connect aims to strengthen the demand for healthcare and raise the level of the accountability of maternal and child health services, in order to improve access, coverage and quality of care for mothers and their children in the community.
Unlike mobile apps, this service does not require a smartphone or internet access, and registration is free.
Health spokesman Siyanda Manana said when an expectant woman visits a clinic for the first time, a nurse will register her on the service – and from then on they receive information via SMS to help them with the stage of pregnancy they are in.
“Even up to six weeks post-delivery it continues educating on matters such as immunisation and development,” he said.
Manana said the service, launched by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi 18 months ago, was functional countrywide in all of the official languages.
“Each and every primary healthcare facility is equipped to do this,” he stressed.
Manana said every month they received reports from the national office – which controls the database – regarding their performance. Provinces and facilities are given targets to meet and the reports highlight their shortfalls and successes.
“We are experiencing some challenges. Some mothers don’t have cellphones, and in some areas there are network challenges,” he said.
An expectant mother can even access the service via a family member’s phone. However, because the information is tailored for a woman’s specific needs – for example HIV-positive mothers would get information that HIV-negative mothers would not – there are women who might choose to do without the service rather that use someone else’s phone.
“Mom-Connect is available on all phones – just dial *134*550#.
“But if you register yourself without the assistance of a primary healthcare professional who has consulted with you, it will give you superficial information which is not personalised for you according to your needs,” said Manana.
A major benefit of Mom-Connect is the improvement in services as the department now has first-hand access to attitudes of staff and patients regarding pregnancy.
“Nurses see Mom-Connect as a watchdog and therefore they provide the best care to these women. Furthermore the service helps with detailed education. Instead of one nurse educating a group of pregnant women, the service provides a one-on-one interaction with them,” he said.
During her recent policy speech, provincial health MEC Dr Pumza Dyantyi hailed the service for assisting the province in its outcomes. “The department has managed to reduce maternal mortality from 174 deaths per 1 000 in 2014 to 112 deaths per 1 000 in 2015; and increased its immunisation coverage,” said Dyantyi, citing some of the advantages of programmes implemented, which include Mom-Connect.
Pregnant women receiving vital advice via mobile service
In August 2014 the national health department launched a mobile service for expecting mothers in the Eastern Cape. Mom-Connect gives pregnant women access to primary healthcare as soon as they register.
The programme is aimed at capacitating expectant mothers and improving communication between nurses and pregnant women.
The system is also used to provide feedback by way of ratings, compliments and complaints about public health services to a central communication centre.
Mom-Connect aims to strengthen the demand for healthcare and raise the level of the accountability of maternal and child health services, in order to improve access, coverage and quality of care for mothers and their children in the community.
Unlike mobile apps, this service does not require a smartphone or internet access, and registration is free.
Health spokesman Siyanda Manana said when an expectant woman visits a clinic for the first time, a nurse will register her on the service – and from then on they receive information via SMS to help them with the stage of pregnancy they are in.
“Even up to six weeks post-delivery it continues educating on matters such as immunisation and development,” he said.
Manana said the service, launched by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi 18 months ago, was functional countrywide in all of the official languages.
“Each and every primary healthcare facility is equipped to do this,” he stressed.
Manana said every month they received reports from the national office – which controls the database – regarding their performance. Provinces and facilities are given targets to meet and the reports highlight their shortfalls and successes.
“We are experiencing some challenges. Some mothers don’t have cellphones, and in some areas there are network challenges,” he said.
An expectant mother can even access the service via a family member’s phone. However, because the information is tailored for a woman’s specific needs – for example HIV-positive mothers would get information that HIV-negative mothers would not – there are women who might choose to do without the service rather that use someone else’s phone.
“Mom-Connect is available on all phones – just dial *134*550#.
“But if you register yourself without the assistance of a primary healthcare professional who has consulted with you, it will give you superficial information which is not personalised for you according to your needs,” said Manana.
A major benefit of Mom-Connect is the improvement in services as the department now has first-hand access to attitudes of staff and patients regarding pregnancy.
“Nurses see Mom-Connect as a watchdog and therefore they provide the best care to these women. Furthermore the service helps with detailed education. Instead of one nurse educating a group of pregnant women, the service provides a one-on-one interaction with them,” he said.
During her recent policy speech, provincial health MEC Dr Pumza Dyantyi hailed the service for assisting the province in its outcomes. “The department has managed to reduce maternal mortality from 174 deaths per 1 000 in 2014 to 112 deaths per 1 000 in 2015; and increased its immunisation coverage,” said Dyantyi, citing some of the advantages of programmes implemented, which include Mom-Connect.
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