12 Jun 2013

People living in remote areas will soon enjoy benefits of accessing distant specialists through the use of telemedicine, courtesy of Orange Botswana.

The cellular network provider, Orange, on Monday signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health (MoH). The three-year agreement would support use of telemedicine.

The ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr Kolaatamo Malefho said at the signing ceremony in Gaborone that the project, which the ministry shall be undertaking in collaboration with Botswana UPenn Partnership (BUP) would enable health care providers and their patients to consult face to face with distant specialists through the use of cell phones.

Dr Malefho said the use of telemedicine would benefit people living in isolated communities and remote regions, especially in sparsely populated areas.

“This innovation will afford patients who live in hard to reach areas an opportunity to be seen by a doctor or specialist, who can provide accurate and complete examination, while the patient may not have to travel lengthy distances or wait for long periods of time for consultation,” he said.

He said Orange had accorded the ministry an opportunity to realise one of its core values of equity, which addressed the principle of equitable distribution of health services and amenities despite one’s geographical location.

Dr Malefho said through the collaboration, the ministry would be able to live this value, adding that central to the patient was the speed and accuracy of diagnosis of the condition and the inception of correct management. He said this would also decrease unnecessary referrals and length of stay at the referral hospital.

Meanwhile, Orange Botswana chief executive officer, Ms Elisabeth Medou-Badang said the project was in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility strategy to incorporate the project into the long term health strategy of the country. Her company would support the ministry with telecommunication equipment and internet connectivity for the next three years.

She said her company was proud to leverage on its network to deliver essential services to the nation and Orange was willing to see more Batswana get access to quality health service. ENDS