Business / Companies
Econet launches Dial-a Doctor service
11 Feb 2015 at 17:49hrs | Views
Econet Wireless, through its Eco Health arm, today launched the Dial-a-Doctor service meant to bridge the gap in access to medical services in Zimbabwe.
The service enables subscribers to talk to a qualified medical doctor and get medical advice for 70 cents per minute by dialing a short code.
This is the latest service introduced by Econet after the Ebola Alerts that were an extension of the Econet Health service, as the company moves deeper into health care services.
The mobile network has tried its hand in various industries and services that include car tracking, water purification and more detailed iterations of existing service lines such as EcoSchool and Econet Health itself.
Head of Econet Health Dr Precious Lunga said the service is meant to improve accessibility to health services and is in support to the Millennium Development Goals as well as the ZimAsset goals.
"We do not have enough doctors in the country. For every one doctor we have more than 15 000 people, for every one nurse there are 1300 people and for every 1 midwife there are more than 800 pregnant women. It means we have difficulty in accessing health services," she said.
She said the Dial-a-Doc service will bridge the time, the distance and even the financial constraints that stop people from getting proper medical help.
"We will also introduce a chat service so that when you want to be discreet you can just send a message to a professional and you can chat and get the help you need," Dr Lungu said.
The service offers initial medical advice and refers patients to the proper medical practitioner or clinic for further examination and medication.
Speaking at the launch, director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Portia Manangazira said the service was a positive step from the one way health guides offered by Ecohealth as it allows for a conversation with a health professional.
"The dial a doc will provide health information and access to people at an affordable cost. This will promote an accelerated response to the health needs of our communities which will help ease the many problems associated with lack of access to medical service providers.
"It is clear that technology, if harnessed correctly can directly benefit and contribute towards the wellbeing of our people," she said.
The dial in service for medical diagnosis and medical information delivery might be a first for Zimbabwe, but it has been launched in other markets before.
Airtel Nigeria launched both Dial-a-Doctor and a maternal service called Mobile Midwife in September last year.
The service enables subscribers to talk to a qualified medical doctor and get medical advice for 70 cents per minute by dialing a short code.
This is the latest service introduced by Econet after the Ebola Alerts that were an extension of the Econet Health service, as the company moves deeper into health care services.
The mobile network has tried its hand in various industries and services that include car tracking, water purification and more detailed iterations of existing service lines such as EcoSchool and Econet Health itself.
Head of Econet Health Dr Precious Lunga said the service is meant to improve accessibility to health services and is in support to the Millennium Development Goals as well as the ZimAsset goals.
"We do not have enough doctors in the country. For every one doctor we have more than 15 000 people, for every one nurse there are 1300 people and for every 1 midwife there are more than 800 pregnant women. It means we have difficulty in accessing health services," she said.
She said the Dial-a-Doc service will bridge the time, the distance and even the financial constraints that stop people from getting proper medical help.
"We will also introduce a chat service so that when you want to be discreet you can just send a message to a professional and you can chat and get the help you need," Dr Lungu said.
The service offers initial medical advice and refers patients to the proper medical practitioner or clinic for further examination and medication.
Speaking at the launch, director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Portia Manangazira said the service was a positive step from the one way health guides offered by Ecohealth as it allows for a conversation with a health professional.
"The dial a doc will provide health information and access to people at an affordable cost. This will promote an accelerated response to the health needs of our communities which will help ease the many problems associated with lack of access to medical service providers.
"It is clear that technology, if harnessed correctly can directly benefit and contribute towards the wellbeing of our people," she said.
The dial in service for medical diagnosis and medical information delivery might be a first for Zimbabwe, but it has been launched in other markets before.
Airtel Nigeria launched both Dial-a-Doctor and a maternal service called Mobile Midwife in September last year.
Source - BH24
