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A FRAIL looking old woman — approximately in her 70s — appears on a television set. She begins explaining her condition with the aid of a nurse.Subsequently Dr Admore Jokwiro takes over as we sat side by side in his consulting room and began to talk with the woman in an interactive manner. Afterwards the doctor instructs the nurse on how to treat the woman.
Equally perplexed, I enquired about the session.
The doctor revealed that they were practicing Telemedicine — the use of Information Communication Technologies to connect medical professionals and patients in distant places.
This involves the transmission of patient’s data in form of visual and digital images with a view to facilitating diagnosis and care. The solution provides satellite connectivity, HD video-conferencing, pan, tilt and zoom camera control and medical devices in a highly integrated way.
He went on to say that he had just been diagnosing a patient at Nyatate Clinic, situated some 30km from his consulting room in Nyanga village.
The normal or rather traditional process would have been to refer such a patient to Nyanga District Hospital.
Nyatate Clinic is piloting the Telemedicine project. The project was initiated by Nyanga South legislator, Cde Supa Mandiwanzira, in consultation with Nyanga District Hospital Medical Officer Dr Jokwiro.
The duo then approached the Ministry of Health and Child Care where they were given the permission to roll out the experimental project.
The legislator pumped in $5 000 towards the purchase of the equipment, notably two 32-inch HD TV screens, two web cameras, two modems, laptops and satellite equipment.
The pilot project at Nyatate Clinic started on April 1 following internet installation by ZARNET and the results have been convincing.
More than 200 consultations have been carried out to date.
Cases attended include hypertension, asthma, abscesses, arthritis, HIV, TB and chronic wounds.
Ward 17 councillor, Clr Willard Mutigwa, in whose area the clinic is located was ecstatic about Telemedicine.
“People are coming in their multitudes for treatment. We can’t even believe this. We are now saving on transport costs. I am one of the patients who were consulted. After the consultation, we have a biker whom we then sent to Nyanga town to buy some medicines which we normally don’t have at our clinic,” he said.
The benefits of Telemedicine, according to Dr Jokwiro are just overwhelming.
“There will be access to specialised healthcare services for under serviced rural areas, early detection of diseases, and reduction of congestion at district hospitals and deliverance of continuous medical education,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Cde Mandiwanzira was upbeat about the project: “We have just begun a new exciting phase in line with our vision to implement Zim-Asset and in the process strengthen the primary healthcare model. Through telemedicine we are capacitating our clinics and as a result our people are going to access quality healthcare at an affordable cost. If carefully harnessed ICTs can improve the quality of lives of our people and this is just one of the examples.”
Online Reporter