By Strive Masiyiwa
This week we are beginning a major initiative on T-Testing, which I hope will be rolled out in other African countries.
Maisha HealthTech (one of our companies in Zimbabwe) has teamed up with our foundation, Higher Life Foundation, and other international partners, to supply 100,000 test kits – more will be sent every few weeks.
Here is how it will work:
#1. Maisha has recruited the #Testing Alliance, of more than 600 private health providers [independent doctors, pharmacies, clinics, labs, private ambulance providers, mission hospitals], who are being trained to undertake @T-Testing. They will be paid US$5 per test undertaken. The results of each test will be uploaded onto a Digital Platform called Sasai Health Status Report, and given only to the person who has been tested. They can choose to share their results with others whenever they want.
All results will be held in a National data base [without names for anyone who is negative].
Although we pay $5/Test to the #Testing Alliance members, we don’t want them to charge people who fall into the following categories:
~People who live in very poor areas like informal settlements, and townships.
~People with Pre existing conditions like hyper tension, and respiratory problems. Those on HIV treatment, or Diabetics.
A minimum of 50,000 of the original 100,000 must be free.
#Companies and those who can afford will be charged $15/Test.
#Our Vaya Ambulance consortium, which has 70 Ambulances nationwide, can provide Testing at home, for an additional fee, for the Ambulance crew.
#2. Handling of positive results:
Those who are found to be positive will be given immediate counseling on what to do. They will be sent into mandatory self-isolation. They will be interviewed by a team that is interested to finding a minimum of 30 people, with whom they have come into contact, in order for us to start @T-Tracing, and to also test and I-Isolate more people.
Anyone who falls sick during I-Isolation will be assisted with T-Treatment support.
The target that I have set the @Maisha Diagnostic Team, which includes our Ambulance service team [Medical Air Rescues-MARS-the largest private Ambulance service]:
Is 10,000 per day by the end of June!
If this initiative is successful, my intention is to encourage other African entrepreneurs to undertake similar initiatives in their countries – not as a For Profit initiative, but a sustainable way to expand Mass T-Testing.
In my formula:
I-Inform and education the public;
T-Testing on a mass scale;
T-Tracing contacts of those who are positive;
I-Isolating [in a compassionate way] anyone found positive;
T-Treating by providing things like Breathing Assistance [including Ventilators, and what are known as Oxygen Concentrators].
I will be issuing this week a Press statement on an initiative I have done with some billionaire friends to mass produce Ventilators in Africa.
@Entrepreneurs don’t talk! Talk!
We @Act!
Follow businessman and entrepreneur Strive Masiyiwa’s initiatives to combat the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus on https://www.facebook.com/strivemasiyiwa/
