Situated at Modikwa Mine near Burgersfort in Mpumalanga, the clinic is one of 23 healthcare facilities run by Platinum Health – a medical scheme and healthcare provider specialising in meeting the needs of employees and their families in the platinum and chrome mining sector.
Enabled by a partnership between Q-KON, Gijima and Platinum Health, the Twoobii-OneWeb solution delivers seamless satellite connectivity that perfectly integrates with Platinum Health’s systems and network infrastructure. It has been developed on the global Eutelsat OneWeb constellation with additional network integration, quality-of-service profiles and service level delivery requirements to meet the needs of South African enterprises. This solution is integrated with Gijima’s core network at Teraco Isando to ensure minimal latency and visibility to the Gijima managed services team.
Like many similar facilities, the Modikwa clinic is in a remote rural area, which experiences challenges in using conventional and terrestrial communication links. Therefore, smart LEO satellite services, as part of ongoing digitisation of healthcare provision, are ideal for mine healthcare facilities.
In a ground-breaking trial at the Modikwa clinic, Gijima successfully transitioned from fixed wireless access to a state-of-the-art satellite link. This pilot programme, conducted over two weeks without the users’ knowledge, was designed to ensure unbiased results. The impressive results led to immediate initiation of a second installation.
During the trial, the clinic's previous fixed wireless system was replaced with the advanced Twoobii-OneWeb LEO satellite technology. The new satellite link delivered substantial improvements when measured against the trial success criteria of markedly reduced latency, reliable and fast connection and absence of downtime.
The Platinum Health management team agreed to continue the service after the trial and began contract negotiations with Gijima to facilitate access to Twoobii-OneWeb LEO services across the Platinum Health WAN.
“Our health maintenance organisation model depends on our own health service providers and facilities having constant online access,” explained Quantin van Rensburg, CIO for Platinum Health. This enables all service providers to access centralised patient records and results with streamlined, seamless diagnosis and treatment as well as improved patient satisfaction, he added.
Louis Kirstein, solutions architect at Gijima, said: “We are committed to enabling Platinum Health to deliver patient-centric care at all their healthcare facilities. The Twoobii-OneWeb LEO smart satellite services connectivity will enhance the interface between the scheme, healthcare professionals and patients by providing additional digital touchpoints and enabling mobile-friendly services.”
The digital transformation trend in global healthcare – driven by determination to improve patient outcomes – requires always-on connectivity for the industry to truly move online. Through digitisation, healthcare service providers can be more productive and treat more patients. With access to centralised patient records, they can accelerate the diagnosis process and ensure they are delivering personalised patient care as part of the new, patient-centric model.
Hendrik Bezuidenhout, Q-KON account director: key accounts, said Platinum Health’s Twoobii-OneWeb LEO solution enables a fully managed and tightly integrated WAN link that meets the requirement for a reliable always-on, anywhere broadband option with applications for emergency disaster response, healthcare training and education and disease management strategies – all relevant for South Africa’s mining industry.
