Liquid Telecom Kenya is enabling refugees in Dadaab complex, Garissa County, access healthcare services including consultations, diagnostics and treatment at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital in Nairobi County over the internet.
By using 15 Megabits per second (Mbps) connection at the hospital’s Nairobi headquarters and a 2Mbps link at Dadaab sub-county hospital medics are able to deliver advanced treatment directly to the patients.
According to Liquid Telecom East Africa boss Adil El-Youssefi, the move not only provides healthcare to the most disadvantaged communities but also supports the government ’s commitment in providing universal healthcare that is one of Kenya’s Big 4 policy agenda item.
“Liquid Telecom’s high speed network is now facilitating cost-effective delivery of specialized healthcare services to one of the world’s largest refugee camp which has traditionally been inhibited by the absence of specialists in the remote semi-arid area,” said Youssefi.
With over 500km distance between the hospital and the camp that hosts about 250,000 refugees, 56 patients have been treated successfully through the virtual healthcare.
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“When we get a call from Dadaab requesting time and input from our specialists, the ICT department notifies the relevant doctor and then schedules a virtual consultation using video conferencing equipment across Liquid Telecom’s network,” explained Peter kanda the head of information services at the Gertrude’s Children Hospital.
Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, the most established pediatric hospital in Eastern and Central Africa further offers the telemedicine services in Mombasa, Sekenani in Narok County and Kibera.
In 2017, the hospital’s innovation in telemedicine won the CIO award.
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“This is a great achievement for us and a clear demonstration that Kenya can provide a solution to common global challenges such as health,” added Mr Kanda.
Further, the hospital has partnered with Interdist Alliances of the CIS Group to install medical equipments that diagnoses patients the transmits results over the internet. Cisco has provided the audiovisual equipment for consultations.
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