Telemedicine: Kenya eyes Telemedicine

Telemedicine is not a common term in the Kenyan medical sector however not so new.And with the escalating cases of misdiagnosis in Kenyan hospitals, telemedicine has been cited as the only way to bring to an end such cases. This year, Kenya has had three major cases of amputation because of wrong treatment. There have been unreported cases of deaths especially among children, after doctors administered drugs without identifying the real cause of the childrens illnesses. The plan involves connecting all hospitals in Kenya with the Internet, partly to help doctors make informed diagnoses and even consult their colleagues via secured Internet traffic before they administer any drugs. With the new initiative, doctors manning rural dispensaries will be able to order medical supplies directly from the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) at the touch of a button. This will largely benefit rural areas which have had a history of poor medical coverage.