COVID-19: Hackers develop new platform for care facilities
Nursing and other health care facilities have a greatly increased need for service personnel in the Corona crisis. The Match4Care platform, developed in record time at HackZurich, easily brings together free capacities on the one hand and high demand in nursing homes on the other.
Who can step in when nursing or kitchen staff are absent due to a Corona infection? And the nurse has to look after her children at home? No food, no cleaning, no energy - the best care fails when logistics break down and specialist staff are missing. Driven by this scenario, André Müller, CEO of the Competence Center Nursing and Health, asks himself: "Where do I get specialists very quickly if cooks, cleaning staff, house technicians or even nursing staff suddenly drop out?
The Federal Council's ordinance of mid-March leaves forces lying idle that are central to the operation of care facilities: Kitchen staff, cleaning staff, laundry staff, house technicians and so on. Nursing and support staff from areas where fewer operations are carried out also have less to do in some cases. Such persons with free capacity could be used for remuneration or as volunteers to cope with bottlenecks in health institutions such as homes and Spitex. Only: How do demand and supply find each other quickly and easily?
Developed in record time: Match4Care
The solution was offered to him by entrepreneur Silvan Leibacher, who participated with his team in HackZurich (27-30 March 2020). This competition among hackers, together with professionals from the healthcare industry, had the motto "Code vs Covid-19". The best and most resourceful programmers put their skills to work, free of charge, to tackle the consequences of the Corona pandemic.
On behalf of the Competence Centre for Nursing and Health (KZU) and Curaviva Zurich, the computer freaks, together with mentors from professional circles, developed the "Match4Care" platform free of charge. On this platform, professionals with free capacity and homes and other healthcare companies looking for help can find each other - uncomplicated and with immediate effect. The team was supported by Iren Bischofberger, professor at the Careum Hochschule Gesundheit in Zurich, André Müller from KZU and Christina Brunnschweiler from Spitex Zurich Limmat.
Since 3 April - seven days after the launch - the Match4Care.ch website has been on the net. An achievement that was only possible through great commitment and the will to provide uncomplicated help. www.match4care.ch
