The North Central Regional Health Authority says in about five weeks, the Tele-medicine Program has seen the NCRHA deliver quality health care through communication technology to over five thousand patients.
It says telemedicine, a relatively new concept in the field of medicine, in the Caribbean region, has allowed the NCRHA to provide premium service in the face of COVID-19.
The project, piloted with the Chronic Disease Clinics in March, required primary healthcare doctors to call and interact with patients and their relatives prior to their clinic dates to engage those persons with uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
The NCRHA says through the direct and frequent interaction, they have been able to provide continued medical assistance/support, and additionally, arrange for the renewal of prescriptions, which are done automatically and collected by relatives or designated persons with minimal waiting as the medications are pre-packaged.
General Manager Primary Care Services, Dr Abdul Hamid, describes it as ‘the exchange of medical information from one location to another using electronic communication to improve patient health status.’
Meanwhile, CEO of the NCRHA, Davlin Thomas, was praised the commitment and dedication of staff to ensure clinical intervention continued uninterrupted, in spite of the growing challenge of COVID-19.
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