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Zetes helps Medecins Sans Frontieres monitor Ebola patients


Johannesburg, 06 Jan 2015
Ultra-tough equipment.
Ultra-tough equipment.

M'edecins sans Fronti`eres (MSF) is launching a project at its largest treatment centre, in Monrovia (Liberia), to monitor patients infected with the Ebola virus.

Zetes is participating in this initial phase by providing a mobile application that will track the location, condition and treatment of patients in a very difficult environment using portable terminals. This system is now in its pilot phase in Monrovia.

ELWA3, the Ebola facility set up by MSF in Monrovia, is housed in a group of big tents. At present, information concerning the condition of patients is shared verbally or on sheets of paper scanned manually inside the high-risk zone.

MSF wants a more efficient, robust and reliable system in which data could be input, sent and processed in real time, while limiting the risks of error and of spreading the virus by nosocomial transmission.

On arrival at the centre, each patient receives a bracelet with a printed bar code and unique identification number. The MSF doctors scan the patient identifier, which then allows them to look up the patient's records and input their diagnosis directly using a questionnaire displayed on the screen of a mobile terminal.

The information is sent to the centre's database via wireless network. The results of the examination will determine the treatment to be administered by the team of nurses and hygienists, and adds to the epidemiological database. Thanks to the solution supplied by Zetes, medical personnel can now look up the location, condition and progress of every patient at any time.

Ultra-tough equipment for extreme conditions

MSF personnel work under extremely harsh and demanding conditions, with temperatures approaching 40^0C and humidity levels above 90%. In addition, the doctors must wear heavy, bulky PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) suits. This limits the amount of time they can spend with patients. That is why there is no time to waste when it comes to sending data. The mobile terminals supplied are resistant to heat, humidity, and dust. They are also designed to withstand contact with liquids, which is essential because all equipment used during patient exams must be cleaned with a chlorine solution. Zetes aimed to take all of these requirements into account whilst providing the simplest and most appropriate solution possible.

Robin Vincent-Smith, Project Manager for 'ELEOS' (Ebola Link Emergency Operational Support) at MSF, says: "The solution put forward by Zetes provides the best response to the factors imposed by our working conditions and the overall context. The seriousness and scale of the problem mean that we can't afford to waste any time on research and development to find a new solution. We need a system that is ready to deploy, robust, and easy to use."

Alain Wirtz, CEO of Zetes, states: "Zetes has the benefit of several decades of experience in the hospital sector, and has carried out projects in African countries where conditions were extremely challenging. We are delighted to be able to use this expertise to support M'edecins Sans Fronti`eres. We sincerely hope our contribution will be very helpful to them."

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Zetes

Zetes is an international group highly specialised in identification and mobility solutions. Connecting what matters is at the heart of the company's business: physical movements and digital flows, customers and their critical data, but also consumers and corporations, citizens and governments. By using the most innovative technologies, the company allows its customers to improve speed, quality and accuracy in order to be on the leading edge of their industry. This has made Zetes a pioneering leader in the market.

The Zetes Group has its headquarters in Brussels and employs more than 1 000 people across 16 countries in EMEA. Zetes aspires to achieve sustainable profits and growth; its consolidated revenues for 2012 amounted to EUR214 million. More info: www.zetes.com.

Zetes South Africa

Zetes South Africa is part of the leading pan-European company that provides value added solutions and services based on the automatic identification of goods and people (goods ID and people ID).

Zetes uses both emerging and mature technologies (barcode, voice recognition, RFID, smartcards, biometrics), and develops focused solutions to optimise the business performance of many customers through the supply chain across many market segments: manufacturing, transportation, logistics, retail, healthcare, finance, telecommunication, government and public services.

Zetes' head office in South Africa is situated in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, with regional offices in Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.www.zetes.co.za

Zetes' government solutions

The People ID division of Zetes provides secure solutions that allow governments to accurately identify their populations and satisfy the strictest international requirements concerning the issuing of documents and the organising of democratic elections. Zetes has more than 10 years' experience in the implementation of sensitive projects for governments and supranational organisations. Zetes' government solutions are characterised by reliability, combined with flexibility and operational capability. Through this approach, citizens are secure in their ability to prove their identity and exercise democratic rights.

Zetes' supply chain solutions

Zetes transforms the way modern supply chains collaborate. Its process optimisation solutions for packaging, storage, proof of delivery, sales, direct store services and store management, all linked by the ZetesOlympus repository, allow large companies to implement end-to-end tracking and tracing of goods, from production to the end user. Zetes plays an important part in helping companies deal with the challenges of global tracking, such as serialisation, parallel markets, security, legal obligations and counterfeiting. Zetes integrates next-generation cloud platforms with cutting-edge technologies such as imaging, voice recognition, RFID, codification and mobile terminals. Zetes is a trusted partner that can guarantee perfect life cycle management of all its solutions, with its Zetes TotalCare and Zetes TotalFinance services.

Zetes People ID

Zetes' People ID division provides public authorities with secure solutions to correctly identify their population and comply with the highest international requirement for document issuing and the organisation of democratic elections. The company has over 10 years' experience implementing sensitive projects for governments and supra-national organisations. Reliability is what characterises the company's solutions, which are combined with its flexibility and ability to execute. This approach allows the company to give the best guarantees for citizens to prove who they are and exercise their democratic rights.

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Editorial contacts

Reamogetse Motsepe
P and P Communications
gee@pandp.co.za