NetOne has taken its healthcare outreach programme to Mutasa District, bringing medical services closer to rural communities as part of activities marking the telecommunications company’s 30th anniversary.
📰 For this and more exclusive stories, read our weekly digital print edition.
Read E-PaperThe outreach, conducted under the NetOne at 30 Medical Outreach Initiative, is being implemented in partnership with ZimSmart Villages through the company’s Health & Care pillar.
The programme forms part of a nationwide drive targeting 30 districts and about 90,000 households, with an estimated 3,000 households expected to benefit in each district.
The Mutasa outreach was attended by Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri and Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Mugadza, who commended NetOne for putting communities at the centre of its anniversary activities.
Speaking at the event, Minister Muchinguri said improved access to essential services was important to the country’s development objectives.
“As we pursue the aspirations of Vision 2030 and implement the National Development Strategy 2, we must continue to harness innovation, technology and partnerships to improve the quality of life of our people. Healthcare is fundamental to development because healthy communities are better positioned to participate meaningfully in the social and economic development of our country.”
She also praised the cooperation between Government, private sector players and development partners in supporting communities.
NetOne Public Relations Manager Ernest Magadzire said the company wanted to use its anniversary to demonstrate that connectivity could deliver benefits beyond communication.
“For 30 years, NetOne has connected Zimbabweans. As we celebrate this milestone, we want connectivity to mean more than communication. We want it to connect people to healthcare, information, opportunity and essential services, especially in communities that need them most.”
Magadzire said the Mutasa programme reflected the company’s efforts to extend the benefits of technology and development to communities across the country.
“When a mother can access healthcare closer to home, when a child receives care, when a family receives information that can protect their health that is connectivity making a difference. That is what we mean when we say we want to go beyond connectivity.”
ZimSmart Villages Chief Operations Officer Tawanda Njerere said technology could help address some of the challenges faced by communities located far from health facilities.
“Technology only becomes meaningful when it solves a real problem for people. Through our collaboration with NetOne, we are using connectivity as a bridge between rural communities and healthcare professionals, helping bring healthcare closer to the people.”
The partnership also supports the use of telemedicine and digital health solutions, which can help communities access healthcare services while reducing challenges associated with long-distance travel.
The initiative is aligned with the country’s Vision 2030 and NDS2 development objectives, while also contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 3 on good health and well-being, SDG 10 on reduced inequalities and SDG 17 on partnerships.
For NetOne, the Mutasa outreach forms part of a broader effort to use its telecommunications network to support social development.
The company said the programme was intended to demonstrate how connectivity can link communities not only to communication services, but also to healthcare, information and opportunities.
As the nationwide initiative continues, NetOne plans to reach communities across the targeted 30 districts as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.
