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Breakthrough in South Africa for Dutch non-profit organization: MKI - 'Prevention through Education''
 

South African Health Research Ethics Committee approves pilot for Biometric Medical Passport

Oostvoorne, 27 January 2010 - In mid-2009 the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) started a pilot for the introduction of a Biometric Medical Passport in South Africa. Now, six months after the start, the South African Health Research Ethics Committee (HREC1) has approved the pilot officially. As a result the use of an as yet 'paper' Biometric Medical Passport is tested on the basis of the regulations as drawn up by the South African authorities with the object to introduce a 'smart card' Biometric Medical passport in the near future.

The project - a joint initiative of the MKI and the Dutch company priv-ID - was received with much enthusiasm. The medical passport is a new, unique approach for the collection and registration of the medical data and history of a patient in a handy booklet. The passport is meant for people who make use of local healthcare. The introduction of the medical passport means that medical data are available in a quick, reliable, effective and exceptionally complete manner. The biometric fingerprint recognition is essential for verification of the identity of the passport holder.

"Within six months our initiative has resulted in unimaginably many enthusiastic reactions!” says Dr. Harold Robles, founder of the MKI. "Not only the support of SARCS (South African Red Cross), but also the big interest of the South African authorities have resulted in this rapid progress. As a small Dutch non-profit organization the MKI can be of big importance in the field of healthcare in southern Africa. With our initiative it seems as if we will be able to introduce a Medical Passport in cooperation with the South African authorities more quickly - and certainly at a shorter notice - than for instance the Dutch authorities. In this respect it is also important that the privacy of the owner of the passport is properly safeguarded!"