Click Here & Upgrade PDF Complete Expanded Features Unlimited Pages Documents qualified manpower in the sector: most specialist doctors and nurses are confined to the line of rail leaving rural areas to cope with inadequate staff levels. Globally, ICT is playing a vital and effective role in the organisation and delivery of health services. Therefore, the deployment of ICTs is acknowledged to have the potential to facilitate the spread of health and medical services to rural and under-served areas; supporting public health education and information services, education and training of medical personnel among others; as well as for supporting decision making related to health service administration and management. 6.9.1 POLICY GOAL To improve access to quality healthcare as close to the family as possible through the deployment and exploitation of ICTs and other modern technologies. 6.9.2 COMMITMENTS In order to achieve the above goal, Government shall: (a) Invest in ICT-based healthcare systems to increase the opportunity for Zambians to have access to adequate and appropriate modern health services irrespective of time, distance and location; (b) Facilitate the development and implementation of a national telemedicine programme to efficiently and effectively utilise scarce human resources and to further improve human capacity in the healthcare delivery system; (c) Partner with private sector and civil society in the deployment and utilisation of ICTs in the health sector; (d) Develop a legal/regulatory and ethical framework for effective use of the Health Information and implement security measures to safeguard the privacy of patient information inherent in health care records; Mainstream ICTs in the management and treatment of HIV/AIDS and other pandemics. (f) 6.9.3 OBJECTIVES (a) To improve the health status of the population and reduce inequalities in the provision of health care services among the Zambian population; (b) To support, through the deployment and exploitation of ICTs, initiatives aimed at combating the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other infectious diseases; 43