The revolutionary innovation is expected to help reduce the doctor-to-patient ratio by improving health care for communities as doctors can remotely monitor patients across a wider radius through data alerts using the electronic platform.
This is also set to improve access and ease the challenge of distance and costs incurred especially by rural communities when travelling to major health centres for health checks and consultation.
According to E-health super-channel partner, Ms Violet Kambasha, “We are spearheading this device, which is a BP and sugar glucose monitoring machine and it’s electronically connected. We are moving towards improving health care access in communities through our e-health services and platform. Once one buys this device we log them into the system where they send information and do readings, which go to the platform that is managed by professional doctors on call,” she said.
“We have doctors at our call centre who do close monitoring of every patient. We are bringing this device to Bulawayo market for the first time and delivering e-health as a solution to the city and benefits through engaging employers and individuals.”
Ms Kambasha said Econet was already working closely with some entities in the city to roll out the service after successfully launching it in Harare.
She said corporates, government institutions and individual users could also use the device as it has numerous health benefits.
“Any individual can have this device, which has a sim-card to transmit the data of the reading from the patient to the doctor. It also transmits information to the central server for storage where patients can access it anytime. The device also transmits an SMS alert to a caregiver, who could be a family member, for accountability,” Ms Kambasha.
“For example if the BP reading is abnormal, the system will send an alert message to family member. As Econet we have medical practitioners who would be monitoring patients and giving advice and tips to manage their condition to the point of medication.”
Among other benefits, the device allows patients to do their BP and sugar checks at home, assists in health record keeping and reduces travelling and consultation costs. From an employer’s point of view the device helps increase productivity as employees can monitor and manage their BP or sugar levels even from their work station, said Ms Kambasha.
“The device also allows workers to be pro-active about their health and that of their loved ones including their parents. Our target market are corporates and this includes small to medium enterprises,” she said.