Jaroka Tele-healthcare

Description

Jaroka tele-healthcare system uses technologies such as:
• Internet
• SMS (Short Text Messaging System)
• Data services (MMS, GPRS) to provide a communication channel between rural health-workers and medical specialists and requires no internet access or any specialized device.
The Jaroka medical facility in rural areas of district Mardan and is equipped with a medical lab that provides basic tests such as ECG, blood chemisty, stool report etc. These lab reports are stored electronically on the Jaroka Tele-Healthcare System. The rural health worker communicates with this centre and acquires diagnostic information. Jaroka also provides for sharing the information with medical specialist all over the world, although the first diagnosis is made by our local doctors in Mardan. If the patient is acute and our doctors are not equipped to provide the best diagnosis, the patient symptoms and data is shared with experts so that the best possible diagnosis and treatment plan may be attained. Moreover, Jaroka allows for mapping of diseases on Google maps that could be used to track pandemics and epidemics. Any vulnerable areas or a spread of disease can quickly be tracked through Jaroka as the database maintains the record of disease incidence and the geographical location where it occurred. This is subsequently plotted on Google maps as shown below which may be used my health professionals to monitor spread of diseases.

What we deliver?

The application provides guidance, alerts and a mechanism for acquiring diagnosis and treatment for a patient. Guidance may be provided in the shape of videos (MMS) or text guidelines in an SMS while alerts are prescription and pandemic alerts that may be provided using SMS. The diagnosis and treatment plan of the patient may also be acquired through SMS using Jaroka.

Why is the project unique?

The project is unique in the sense that it uses SMS to provide healthcare services to the poorest section of the society. Its healthcare at the doorstep with accessibility to the remotest regions of the country. No special device is required. Anyone with a SMS-enabled device with an account with Jaroka can use this service.

Contact

Dr. Hammad A. Qureshi
National University of Science and Technology
SEECS, NUST, H-12, Islamabad, Pakistan.
<URL : http://seecs.nust.edu.pk/