Almost half of the population in Pakistan doesn’t have access to basic healthcare. The WHO recommends that there should be one doctor for every 1000 patients. In Pakistan this ratio on paper goes up to one doctor for every 1764 patients. But the ratio is far worse in rural areas than it is in urban areas. In metropolitan cities, it’s relatively easy to find doctors and even at late hours. For smaller cities or villages it is a whole different story. The dire situation in healthcare calls for companies with a serious intension of CSR to come forward and participate in telemedicine projects like Sehat Kahani to make healthcare accessible digitally in far-flung areas of Pakistan. Such collaborations not only break conventional CSR practices but also serve the purpose of helping those in need with the help of technology. With an internet penetration of 47 per cent in rural areas and 64pc in urban areas, people can easily benefit from telemedicine companies. Telemedicine being one of the fastest growing markets in the world is giving healthcare access to everyone. With just one click patients can connect with certified doctors anywhere in the world at any point in time. Telemedicine greatly helped the masses during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Telemedicine reduces medical costs by eradicating travel costs and also saves patients from the mental stress.
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Keeping in view the inaccessibility of the basic healthcare system in most of the rural and some of the urban areas of Pakistan, telemedicine can do wonders for the people. Developed countries all over the world have successfully adopted telemedicine technology, and if we look at our neighboring country India, more than 55pc of the country’s doctors have adopted telemedicine practices. Pakistan also swiftly needs to work on digitisation of the healthcare services as it goes through a tough time to save fuel costs.
With the technological advancements in every sector and the urge to give the best possible services to their employees, many corporate companies have on-boarded different telehealth applications giving them 24/7 free access to their healthcare needs. Digitalization of health services is not only the need of hour but also the best possible solution to healthcare issues through technology.
Since the adoption of telemedicine, not just healthcare is easily accessible but also saves time, and improves the general health of patients and their families by saving them from all hospital-borne disorders. This might seem insignificant but can be very troublesome for people who cannot afford healthcare, with decreased immunity, and for people living in rural areas.
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Dr Sara Saeed Khurram, the CEO of Sehat Kahani, argues that digitalization has its impact on everything including healthcare. “Telemedicine is taking roots in Pakistan. “From cost reduction, time conservation, safeguarding against infections and supplementing income, telemedicine aids healthcare professionals to a great extent. Most importantly, telemedicine in Pakistan has helped many female doctors to resume their professional careers.
“The convenience brought by telemedicine encourages individuals to take their healthcare more seriously and prevent treatment delays. When problems are detected within primary care, it prevents the disease from developing into something serious. Time and distance can’t hinder smooth healthcare delivery if telemedicine is utilized. Sehat Kahani App has evolved over time and with understanding of market need, it has become a super App which not only does consultations but also provides other services like booking lab tests and subscription plans to facilitate its customers.”
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Dr Sara has the vision to digitize Pakistan in terms of healthcare services, their partnership with the government of Pakistan and the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir did wonders for the people in the toughest times when the whole country was affected with Covid-19. They provided free of cost digital healthcare services when mobilization was near impossible due to the fear of getting others infected with the virus as well. The Azad Kashmir government has acknowledged her services in setting up and successfully operating e-health clinics across Kashmir and ongoing work to establish more facilities in the region. Such measures should also be considered by other provinces to provide basic healthcare digitally to the masses.
— The writer is medical practitioner
and can be reached at [email protected].
The Nation, 09 Apr, 2023