14 June 2019

Liquid Telecom Kenya has used its high-speed fibre network to connect the main hospital in Mombasa to seven of its outreach centres in the coastal region, bringing healthcare closer to the community.

The roll-out of services started in August 2018 in a bid to improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in some of the more rural communities.

This includes online consultations and diagnostic services.

“Travel costs were often prohibitive for patients,” said Hemed Twahir, medical director at Aga Khan Hospital, Mombasa. “For example, patients coming from Voi to Mombasa spend around KSh700 on bus fares, which is a major cost at a time when most of the population struggle to buy even basic medication, and often cannot afford to visit the hospital for follow up appointments.”

Liquid Telecom’s internet network has also enabled the hospital to run e-learning courses covering continuous medical education (CME) and continuous nursing education (CNE) between the main hospital and outreach clinics.

It also includes public hospitals such as Rabai, Tsangansini and Mariakani, to exchange knowledge and discuss medical case management – in a collaborative process that drives best-practice treatment plans.