Africa-Press – Tanzania. DAR ES SALAAM: THE Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) has launched a Home-Based Care (HBC) programme to help patients experiencing life-threatening situations at home and to reduce incidences of sudden deaths.
The HBC programme allows individuals, especially those in remote areas, to receive healthcare services without going to hospitals.
The programme improves accessibility, particularly for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled, or those with chronic conditions. JKCI Director, Dr Peter Kisenge told reporters in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday that HBC service is primarily targeted at patients discharged from JKCI who require ongoing care.
“Initially, the service will be offered exclusively in Dar es Salaam at an affordable cost, and our primary objective is to ease the burden on individuals at home and to minimize the occurrence of sudden deaths,” Dr Kisenge stated.
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In conjunction with the HBC programme, JKCI has also introduced Dozee’s advanced AI-based contactless and continuous Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Early Warning System (EWS) Dozee monitors vital signs such as sleep patterns, body temperature, oxygen levels, and blood pressure, relaying this information to healthcare providers via the SENS Dashboard and SENS mobile application.
“Patients lie on a specialized sheet placed in their bed, enabling us to monitor their heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels remotely,” said Dr Kisenge.
He highlighted that this technology, originating from India, is now available at JKCI. Dr Kisenge further explained that the HBC services are crucial as they can prevent life-threatening situations for patients under high stress. “For instance, if a patient’s blood pressure drops at home, we receive an alert and can promptly locate and assist them,” he said. The service also guides family members and caregivers on how to respond in such situations.
Additionally, he said the HBC programme supports post-surgical patients needing wound care and offers a 24-hour service that includes assessments, physiotherapy, and nutritional advice for longterm hospital patients wishing to recuperate at home.
In line with that Dr Kisenge commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan for her dedication to enhancing Tanzania’s healthcare sector and ensuring citizens receive quality services.
“And as you know, the President has given us ambulances; our institution, JKCI, has more than six ambulances, so it is easy to follow the patient and bring them for further treatments,” he noted.
Director of Saakar Healthtech Limited and a partner of Dozee, Pankaj Kumar, remarked that Dozee supersedes traditional nurse-conducted manual spot checks by providing automated continuous vital sign monitoring in non-ICU wards.
“This innovation sets a new benchmark for patient safety and care, improves operational efficiency, and addresses the shortage of medical staff and ICU beds,” he expressed.
He added that “Dozee is touted as the first technology globally to aid in reducing patient blood pressure.” Detailing some of the key benefits of deploying Dozee systems, Mr. Kumar emphasized the system’s role in enhancing patient safety, enabling timely medical interventions, optimizing ICU bed usage, managing surgical patient overflow, and digitizing vital sign records for a paperless workflow.
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