Social Awareness
Being in the Health Care Industry, MEDITECH SA is committed to improving quality of life in our community and around the world. We are involved in a number of projects in this regard.
Our most recent and ambitious being the joint donation by ourselves, our partner LSS Data Systems and 3 Com of an information system, including software, hardware and services to the Perinatal HIV Research Unit in Soweto, South Africa.
With 20 to 30% of Africa's adult population infected with the HIV virus, we feel it's our responsibility to do all we can to help fight this disease.
About the Perinatal HIV Research Unit
The internationally recognised Research Unit works closely with UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS on policy and clinical guidelines for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
The Unit has also developed a reputation as a leading African research unit for clinical trials in adults and children with HIV, with one of the largest cohorts of adults enrolled in HIV pharmaceutical treatment trials in the developing world.
The Unit is in the forefront of HIV vaccine research in South Africa, which has been identified as a priority by the government and is collaborating with both the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (
SAAVI). In addition, a TB and HIV research programme has been established in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University.
In recent years the work of the Unit has expanded beyond the original focus of Mother-to-child transmission of HIV to include treatment trials in adults and children, prevention research, psychosocial research, policy development and advocacy relate
d issues concerning HIV-positive woman and their children.
About the Donation
LSS Data Systems donated their new Electronic Ambulatory Record System (EARS) and MEDITECH SA donated a high-powered server and storage resources, which reside at our head offices in Midrand. Together we implemented the system and have committed to
provide continued support. MEDITECH SA also assisted in setting up their network and sponsors the dedicated data link between the Unit and our facility. 3 Com donated all the network peripherals required, including switches and routers. The system success
fully went live on the 1st of November 2001.
Benefits of the System
The Electronic Ambulatory Record system is expected to be highly beneficial to the Unit. Clinical data for the life of the patient as well as study specific data is instantaneously available to providers. The privacy of patients is protected by rest
ricting study data to authorised users. Data is also backed up on a daily basis and stored off site. The system provides valuable financial data that will assist in efficient operations. It also includes powerful report writing capabilities, which allows
for easy analysis of data. The system also has inventory capabilities and controls the dispensing of drugs from the Unit's pharmacy. We hope the system will improve the efficiency and accuracy of clinical research being done by the Unit and in so doing he
lp in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
MEDITECH SA would like to thank LSS Data Systems and 3 Com for their generous contributions and the Perinatal HIV Research Unit for the opportunity to be a part of such an important task.
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