This archive report was first published on 22 May 2020.
Kenya has been a leader in technological transformation in sub-Saharan Africa for a decade, but its healthcare sector has been slow to adopt emerging technologies towards achieving universal healthcare.
Despite the government's 2015 telemedicine initiative, which aimed to link Kenyatta National Hospital doctors to patients in Machakos Level Five Hospital and other health facilities around the country, the programme never kicked off.
However, the unexpected collapse of the project became an inspiration for private players to kick-start what professionals in the medical field term the future of medicine.
Since then, private industry has been placing more value in the telehealth landscape, with the birth of valuable apps such as MyDawa, M-Tiba, Dawa Swift, Daktari Africa, and Sasa Doctor.
These apps have been a major boost towards providing timely, affordable, and quality healthcare for patients, especially during the Covid-19 period.
As the coronavirus spreads, more patients are finding solace online, where they consult doctors and clinicians via videoconferencing and the medicine they purchase online gets delivered to their houses.
A virtual session can cost as low as Sh500 compared to Sh5,000 in hospitals, and services include diagnosis, prescription, surgery pre-assessments, ultrasound, crowd funding, pharmaceutical e-commerce, health insurance, doctor-to-doctor consultation, and medicine e-learning.
Even with snags such as uneven 4G internet distribution in rural areas, Kenya's 41 registered telemedicine apps have been key in improving the health and well-being of citizens in rural villages.
However, more still needs to be done to achieve inclusivity, including embracing innovators' drive and allowing payments for patients treated through online medicine.
