Telemedicine in Kenya - 5 years on!
Technology can play an important part in healthcare, as is currently evident in the role it has played in the fight against Covid-19. Indeed early this year in March, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), launched a telemedicine technology center for the detection of Coronavirus, touted as the first of its kind in Africa. Telemedicine allows healthcare professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients at a distance using telecommunications technology.
A quick google search on telemedicine in Kenya, shows that its not a new concept in Kenya. In fact 2015 saw the launch of two telemedicine schemes, that were meant to revolutionise healthcare delivery to Kenya’s rural poor and marginalised communities. The first scheme was a collaborative venture between German based Merck group and the Ministry of Health, that provided a platform which enabled both patients and healthcare providers in rural areas to interact with Kenyatta National Hospital health experts via video conferencing. The second scheme, Sema-Doc was launched by the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and for monthly fee of 300 Kenyan shillings you would get access to medical doctor plus a whole range of other services by dialing *220# on ones safaricom line. There also exists a whole host of privately run telemedicine schemes like Connect Med (mDaktari) by Access Afya, which aim to offer affordable convenient access to primary care.
Five years on and with the devolution of healthcare coupled with little or no change in primary healthcare delivery services especially in rural and marginalised areas, we would like to know of your experience of telemedicine and if it has truly revolutionised primary healthcare delivery for the rural poor and marginalised communities as envisioned. Have you heard of these schemes or even used any of them or any other form of telemedicine? If so, what has been your experience and what if anything can be improved upon?
Please let us know via the ‘your health matters’ page on the website.
Useful reading:
Nakweya,G(2015) Kenya launches telemedicine initiative for the poor- https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/medicine/news/kenya-launches-telemedicine-initiative-poor.html
2. Wanyonyi,P(2015), Telemedicine is here ,but more needs to be done . Nairobi business monthly https://www.nairobibusinessmonthly.com/telemedicine-is-here-but-more-needs-to-be-done/
4. Kabia, J (2018), Technology expert says Kenya is the ‘promised land’ of telemedicine. Health Business- http://www.healthbusiness.co.ke/2015/technology-expert-says-kenya-is-the-promised-land-of-telemedicine/
