Chad, a nation grappling with significant challenges in healthcare accessibility, is witnessing a transformative shift with the deployment of solar-powered kiosks offering remote medical consultations. For Ache Kodo, seeing a doctor once meant a grueling journey across hundreds of kilometers, a barrier exacerbated by limited medical facilities and infrastructure in rural communities. Now, through Telemedan, a telemedicine initiative, she can consult a doctor remotely through a kiosk powered by solar panels and batteries, significantly reducing travel time and costs.
Living in Bitkine, a central Chad village, Ache described the reality: ‘The problem wasn’t just the lack of doctors; it was the distance between those doctors and the communities that needed them.’ For decades, rural Chad has suffered from a significant disparity in healthcare access, with medical facilities concentrated in larger towns and cities, leaving vast swathes of the population underserved.
Launched in 2021, Telemedan represents a bold strategy to address this challenge. The kiosks, which run on solar energy, are equipped with essential tools like blood-pressure monitors, glucometers, thermometers, pulse oximeters, and ECG machines, all operated remotely by a local operator.
“Telemedan changed how my family accessed healthcare services,” Ache stated, “It was difficult before, as it involved me saving money to travel just to see a doctor. Now I’m able to do it on time with fewer costs from where I am. It has also enhanced my economic status.”
The system’s design prioritizes reliability, even in areas with unreliable electricity or internet connectivity. Patient information is stored locally and synchronised when connectivity returns, utilizing a USSD service allowing users without internet access to book appointments and access health information.
The initial rollout has already expanded to 37 kiosks across 11 provinces, reaching an estimated 143,000 individuals, representing a significant step toward broader digital health initiatives in the country. Abakar Mahamat, the initiative’s founder, highlighted the project’s growth, stating that the National Health Development Plan for 2022-2030 emphasizes digital health as a key component of expanding healthcare access, particularly in underserved regions.
While the kiosks offer remote consultations, they are not a replacement for hospital-based care. A remote consultation is limited, with patients needing to reach the next level of healthcare.
According to Youssouf Silay, an assistant to the coordinator of Chad’s National Digital Health Programme, “The objective is to promote innovative solutions that can improve access to healthcare, particularly in areas with limited medical and energy infrastructure.”
This initiative is part of a broader national effort to develop a wider digital health system in Chad. The government established the National Telemedicine Programme in 2021 and launched the National Digital Health Programme in 2023, with the Ministry of Health developing a legal and regulatory framework for digital health services.
Abakar emphasized that the expansion of the kiosks represents just the beginning – ensuring the ongoing maintenance of the equipment, availability of connectivity, training of local operators, and continued support for patients who require care beyond the kiosk’s capabilities.
“We want Telemedan to become a sustainable layer of healthcare infrastructure, not simply a collection of technology projects,” Abakar concluded, stressing the importance of a holistic approach to healthcare access, recognizing that the success of this initiative hinges on the continued commitment of local communities and government partners.
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Source: Al Jazeera Africa
