The Health Informatics Association of Malawi, a healthcare non-profit organisation, recently launched a virtual doctor, a mobile application, that will supplement the delivery of health services in the country.
The App not only connects doctors with patients in faraway places, but it also ensures that medics have access to information from other professionals in such areas.
According to the developers, the Virtual Doctors Application can help people in remote places access medical services without having to travel vast distances, particularly in rural areas.
They went on to say that with a phone penetration rate of 60.3% and an internet penetration rate of 18.0%, access to information and services has been substantially enhanced.
The App also gives users access to approved health and nutrition information and services via a toll-free hotline.
"The health system in Malawi and other developing countries is characterised by inadequate resources yet challenged with increased need for health services as the population grows, " Dr Nedson Fosiko, executive director for the Health Informatics Association of Malawi told ITWeb Africa.
He continued: "One of the need is for quality clinical services. Technology has been applied in a number of sectors to improve access, efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery and the health sector cannot be spared."
Dr Fosiko said the technology is being applied in the delivery of health services in a number of ways and telemedicine is one of them.
"The Virtual Doctors Application we have launched will connect clinicians in the remote areas with their specialist doctors at the central hospital so that those in the remote can get specialist advice to manage cases that would otherwise be complicated for them at their sites hence reducing need for referrals to distance central hospitals but providing needed quality services in their areas," he added.
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