Namibia recently completed a Data Centre in the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), reaching another milestone in the country’s plan for HRIS strengthening. The new Data Centre will enhance the security, reliability and availability of the Ministry’s HR Information Management System (HRIMS). This system tracks health professionals working in the public sector and captures data on their training, certification, licensing and deployment.
The plan for the Data Centre was originally conceived while HRIS strengthening was supported by the Capacity Project. The work was subsequently funded and executed under a new Associate Award – the Namibia HIV Prevention, Care and Support Program – that is led by IntraHealth International and began in December 2008. Located in its own room in the MoHSS, the Data Centre now houses all the Ministry’s infrastructure and application servers in a biometric access and climate-controlled environment with a fire suppression system and fire protected walls. All of this is supported with uninterrupted power supply from a diesel generator. Although necessary for the success of the HRIMS, the Data Centre also benefits the entire Ministry’s IT environment.
The Capacity Project helped strengthen the HRIMS at the central level by purchasing computers and servers, training users, supporting data entry, and building capacity by setting up and coaching a project management team. The Namibia HIV Prevention, Care and Support Program is now working with the MoHSS to roll the HRIMS access out to the country’s 13 regions. The roll-out activity is on track, with three regions already connected (25%) and another six expected to be connected by February (75%). By 2010, all regions will be linked to HRIMS in the MoHSS. Thanks to the Data Centre, this connection will be fast, reliable and secure.
These recent accomplishments are part of IntraHealth’s overall strategy to build the required HR and IT infrastructural capacity to sustain and support the MoHSS in achieving Namibia’s National Development Plan for the years 2008 to 2012 and the Namibian government’s Vision 2030.
To read more about HRIS strengthening in Namibia, click here.
Hafeni, one of the IT system administrators, enrolling on the biometric access control system
Bouchard, IT technician, enrolling Erastus, IT system administrator, on the Biometric access control whilst Hafeni overlooks
Joseph, head of IT at MOHSS, retrieving the generator's vital indicators
IT Team of MOHSS posing in the Data Center. They are in front of the gas bottles, part of the Fire Detection and Suppression System.
Anna, MOHSS project manager, testing the Biometric Access Control System
MOHSS IT staff proudly posing in front of their new generator
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