South Africa, and the rest of Africa, should embrace the evolution of telemedicine for its potential to make healthcare more accessible and to significantly impact the lives of rural populations, says Dr Helen Weber, Medical Adviser at Sanlam.
It’s happening faster than we think. In fact, countries like America have seen a significant reduction in healthcare costs since the implementation of telemedicine in everyday clinical practices. Weber believes there is undoubtedly potential to also bridge the gap in Africa’s most rural regions, where no or very few specialists are available.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)*, 43% of South Africa’s population lives in rural regions, with just one physician responsible for 7 700 people. Africa, home to 14% of the world’s population, struggles with 24% of the global burden of disease, yet the continent hosts just 3% of the world’s healthcare workers.
With telemedicine, rural patients can have access to a specialist through videoconferencing, teleradiology and telepathology. The implementation of digital health records is already enabling South African patients to see healthcare practitioners anywhere in the country.