The quick-thinking proactivity of an SAP partner has seen Morocco adopting its first-ever digital tracking system in response to the novel coronavirus.
The system, called “COVID-19 Real-Time Monitoring,” allows the Moroccan Ministry of Health to have a full and up-to-date view of the number of cases across the country at any one time. It also gives a complete view of medicine stock levels in every hospital.
It was developed by ALGO, the first certified SAP partner in Africa and an expert in creating packaged solutions using SAP Digital Boardroom. Working for a healthcare service during a global health crisis, however, was a first.
As SAP director at ALGO, Naoual Hammane explains, “When the pandemic reached Morocco, there was no digital system in place to manage COVID-19 in hospitals. All personal [patient] information and data was collected in silos with no high-level coordination, resulting in huge delays.”
“Our expertise lies in delivering SAP Digital Boardroom, but we knew, with SAP HANA as the data source, it could be adapted to manage COVID-19 in real time, across the country,” he adds.
Dr. Ahmed Rguig, director of the Centre of Epidemiology in Morocco, says, “Monitoring the system in China, we were aware that, as a country, they were managing the crisis with digital technology in place. We didn’t have a system like this; we managed in an archaic way with standard tools and systems. We were very aware that we had to put something in place that allowed us to manage the scale of the pandemic with professionalism and in real time.”
On March 1, just two weeks after the first case of COVID-19 was recorded, ALGO’s COVID-19 Real-Time Monitoring system was up and running to help track the virus and keep on top of medicine stocks. The dual-solution system was developed and deployed by a team of 15 consultants, all working remotely, who used video and telephone calls to get the project over the line.
“We worked around the clock,” Hammane adds. “Two teams worked in 24-hour shifts to get the project delivered. I have been managing SAP projects for 14 years and this is the first time ever a project has been managed virtually. We used video conferencing, telephone calls, sent videos by WhatsApp; the only time I saw anybody was when I met with the health minister and the director of the Centre of Epidemiology to set the system up and train them on how to use it.”
How-to videos were then produced and shared with staff in hospitals across Morocco.
“We were committed to responding in a smart way,” says Hammane. “Before the system was in place, there was one lab testing and sending the results to the hospital and the Centre of Epidemiology. With this system, more labs are able to submit their tests. They’re all connected and their information can be distributed quickly. It’s much more effective.”
“In terms of results, we can use this experience as something to be proud of. It demonstrates that we have succeeded in this crisis,” says Dr. Rguig.
