In Pakistan, 63% of the 170,000 registered doctors are women. but Most of them give up their jobs when they get married. ON23% of married doctors practice as such. Their surroundings do not allow them to work outside the home. nor is there a safe and accessible means of transport for them. This is what Sara Saeed thought of when she had her first daughter. This is how a network began: remote doctors in Pakistan.
Remote health
200 million people live there. And half have no access to sanitation, especially in remote areas. So Saeed thought of technology as a connection method. Created one Telemedicine network for patients in rural communities.
Had his idea the title of Associate Laureate in the Awards from the Rolex Initiative. It was selected from nearly a thousand proposals submitted. S.u network integrates more than 5,000 married doctors. They handle thousands of inquiries, 340,000 so far. They carry out this work from the 35 virtual health centers. “Our doctors have access to seminars and training courses. GYou have opportunities for peer learning within the network, ”he says.
The patients are 60% women and 40% men. To run quick consultations with general practitioners and specialists. Yes Most of the telematics requests are paid for at the modest price of half a euro. The organization is called Sehat Kahani (Health History).
Long way
The first of these clinics opened in 2015. The patients who came to the consultation did not trust her at first. They didn’t know if the woman they saw on the other side of the screen was a real doctor. The news soon spread. In Sehat Kahani se imparten Health education campaigns. «We train patients in disease prevention. In short, to take care of yourself. We also offer a safe space to discuss culturally sensitive topics. Including mental, sexual, or birth health. Remote doctors in Pakistan hope for growth. “In the next two years we hope to serve 2.5 million people. And expand to 15,000 doctors.
You are also thinking of other countries. Bangladesh, Malaysia, Philippines, North Africa. The potential is huge. There are many communities in the world where a doctor is not available within 20 or 30 kilometers.
“But thanks to technology, we can get there. We can serve from Pakistan, Australia, or Canada. That is the precious spark that keeps us going every day, ”says Sara Saeed. Without a doubt, the spark it radiates illuminates everyone.
