Safaricom launches mHealth service

Safaricom has teamed up with 'Call-a-Doc' to launch a service that will enable people to access medical services over the phone, according to the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation website. The service is called 'Daktari1525' and will enable Safaricom's subscriber base of over 18 million to call doctors at any time of the day and receive expert advice on health issues. Dialling 1525 will connect the user to the Safaricom call centre, and a doctor will be on hand to assist. The service will be charged at KES 20 a minute and is expected drastically to reduce hospital visits and medical expenditure. Information and Communications Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo, who officially launched the service, termed it a timely event at time when the government is looking at digitising its medical operations. Safaricom has invested KES 15 million in terms of network infrastructure, call centre facility and marketing of the service. 'Call-a-Doc' has recruited qualified doctors who will be based at the Safaricom call centre. Current statistics indicate that in Kenya, one doctor attends over 10,000 patients. There are slightly over 7,500 licensed medical facilities in the country attending to a population of over 40 million Kenyans. Under this service, doctors will not prescribe treatment to the caller. They will instead give expert advice and refer patients accordingly.