Telehealth will solve Kenya’s healthcare challenges – experts

One in ten families in Kenya falls into poverty every year due to healthcare costs, health stakeholders say.

Roy Bore, chief executive officer of HealthX Africa, said the ever-growing population makes it increasingly difficult for the national and county governments to build enough hospitals to meet the rising demand.

“Therefore, telehealth or digital health is the solution," he said.

Telehealth is the use of information and communication technologies to access health services remotely.

The national doctor-to-population ratio stands at 1:4,000.

The situation is worse in rural areas. For instance, in Kwale county, the ratio is 1:78,000, Bore said.

“The rural communities are underserved. On average, the distance to a healthcare facility is 5km, and there are too few doctors to manage this population." 

Bore's organisation is collaborating with the Ministry of Health to develop telehealth guidelines, which will be the first of their kind in the region.

“We believe digital health is the only viable solution. There's no way counties or the national government can build enough hospitals or hire enough doctors to serve the population," he said.

"By the 2040s, for every four people born in the world, one will be African. Our population growth is crazy, and our healthcare needs to keep pace. The traditional brick-and-mortar model won't be able to meet that demand. Telehealth and digital health are the answer."

Bore spoke on Tuesday evening in Mombasa during the launch of Cura Health Insurance, a new product by Lifecare International.

Lifecare is a leading insurance, health, and wellbeing advisor with operations in Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

CEO Alniz Popat said Cura provides a comprehensive range of healthcare, crisis, and support services across Kenya and beyond, including telehealth consultations, emotional assistance, global crisis response, and evacuations.

"The health insurance industry is evolving rapidly, and we've identified a significant gap in the market for people who need services beyond traditional health insurance," Popat said.

"Cura goes beyond insurance to provide care when it's needed most. It includes medical concierge services available 24/7, and telehealth access to doctors around the clock, from anywhere."

Popat emphasized Cura's support for the telehealth model. "It's like having a doctor for every Kenyan. If you have a phone, you have a doctor in your pocket, accessible whenever needed. That's what we're aiming to provide."

Recently, Lifecare International carried out a medical camp in Maasai Mara in Narok county.

Popat said they partnered with international and local insurance companies.

"We all went together and we ran a medical camp where we provided free primary medical care. We provided consultations and medicines. We did a lot of surgeries that were able to be done remotely. We did it in remote locations," he said.

The team also provided services for tumour removal, and dental extraction and treated over 4,000 patients.

"We've done about five medical camps, so far. So we've treated maybe just more than 12,000 Maasai to date. The Maasais come from all over the place as far as the Tanzanian border to see a doctor. And we're trying to address those needs there," he said.