Digital Hospital, a brand of Digital Healthcare Solutions (DH) and a pioneer in the digital healthcare industry, is launching 30 Specialist Doctor booths outside metro cities, where patients can consult specialist doctors of Dhaka in their trusted local Digital Health Centers (Diagnostic/Clinic/Pharmacy) through Video Call. The initiative has been taken to ensure the reach of quality healthcare services in the country’s most remote areas, using innovative technology.
Doctors of around 20+ specialties will be available for consultation at these centers including Medicine, Gynecology, Dermatology, Pediatrics, Cardiology, Endocrinology. By focusing on Gynecology and Pediatrics, Digital Hospital hopes to support new mothers, fathers and children across the nation to access specialized care from the town or the village they live in. This eliminates their need to travel to Dhaka, and the additional risk of getting infected with COVID-19 while travelling.
Furthermore, families on average spend BDT 5,3381 on travel and accommodation to get specialized private hospital care. By bringing specialists to the people, Digital Hospital is also helping to reduce the cost of healthcare.
Most patients across Bangladesh with various serious health issues require consultations with specialists on a regular basis. However, with the majority of specialists concentrated in Dhaka, it is difficult to get quality care from cardio/gynae/pediatrics outside metro centers. Furthermore, early diagnosis can often help patients avoid complications and have a quick recovery as well. Therefore, Digital Hospital aims to build a bridge between the doctors and patients through their innovative technology that would remove barriers to accessible and affordable healthcare.
The doctor booths in these centers are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to ensure smooth communication between the patient and the doctor. In addition, the booth has been designed to ensure the patients do not feel any gap in their healthcare services even without the doctor’s physical presence.
However, to further support the patients, assistants are present to help them in any way required. In addition, patients will be able to take any tests prescribed by the doctor at the same digital health center at a discounted rate.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, strict measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the patients and the centers’ administrative staff. Consultations via Video Call also helps the doctor stay protected and serve patients just about anywhere from the comfort of their homes.
In pilots during the first 6 months of 2021, Digital Hospital has already provided over 5,000 specialist consultations with gynecology, cardiology, medicine specialists – and this scale up will bring the service to many more communities. By the end of 2021, 30 Specialist Doctor booth will be opened in locations like Polashbari in Gaibandha, Maderganj in Jamalpur, Dumuria in Khulna, Birampur in Dinajpur, Burichong in Cumilla and some other parts of the country with an objective to ensure quality healthcare for all, and help close the health care gap between the rich and poor, the rural and urban. Because everyone deserves good health.
In this phase of scale up, Digital Hospital is focusing on setting up booths in sub-urban & Thana level but in next phase they will be focusing on different unions/chars and further improve the access to healthcare of the general people. Digital Hospital believes that Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a right for every individual and will continue to deliver projects and services to advance it.
Andrew Smith, CCO of Digital Healthcare Solutions, says, “For most families and communities in Bangladesh, to access specialist medical advice they need to make a long, expensive journey to Dhaka. Now we are bringing those specialist doctors to the local diagnostic lab or pharmacy in their local community. This will broaden healthcare access and democratize who can consult with a specialist doctor and contribute to the government’s efforts of building a Digital Bangladesh.”
