COVID-19 delivered an aggrandising blow to the healthcare system. It placed a period before many ongoing trials and staggered the progress of the system as a whole. At the same time, however, it ended up utilising a sector of healthcare we had previously not seen as so functional.
Unorthodox approaches towards medicine rose again, and today the world has somehow accommodated social distancing in more ways than one, even in healthcare. For a country like Pakistan, the advent of the Coronavirus was seen as an opportunity to allow the most detrimental aspects of the healthcare system to finally be tossed aside so improvements that were long due could be implemented.
Emeds worked throughout the pandemic to remain updated with these changes and, in turn, to keep the citizens updated and cared for at every step.
Telehealth- the long waited evolution in Pakistan
With social distancing, Pakistan made more stringent use of the system of Telehealth. Telehealth refers to the digital approach in diagnosis and treatment. Through different apps, citizens in Pakistan can get in touch with medical professionals for consultation and diagnosis sessions. They can receive affordable treatment while staying at their homes. It’s safe to say Telehealth has been a long-overdue change that Pakistan needed.
How has Telemedicine revolutionised healthcare in Pakistan?
Telemedicine or e-medicine has forced Pakistani healthcare professionals to test new waters, and the results have often overturned in their favour. Day by day, adopting the virtual method has become more accessible and all for the right reasons. We’ve described below some of the most critical impacts of e-medicine on the healthcare system in Pakistan.
Accessibility for remote areas
A hefty portion of the population that requires stringent medical attention resides in remote areas in Pakistan. These are usually rural villages with a sparse number of hospitals and a plethora of dangerous diseases. It is often too taxing for the people in these areas to drive to the city for treatment.
So exhausting that they usually quit their treatments, unable to keep up with the costs of transportation and medicine. This leaves a significant number of ill people not receiving due treatment because of inaccessibility. Telehealth, however, completely changes the equation. It allows healthcare professionals to get in touch with these remote patients and prescribe treatment digitally.
Receiving medication by delivery adds another layer of ease, and new dispensaries can also be set up with enough demand. Thus, e-medicine is bridging a massive gap that has lowered fatality rates due to a lack of treatment or attention in remote areas.
Proper aftercare
Everyone understands dealing with illness does not end at a hospital. It does not come to a stop when the surgery ends or the wound is bandaged. The healing process takes place mostly after you’ve left the hospital, and it is the most vital step in ensuring you can be healthy once again. Aftercare is not easy and, if not dealt with diligently, can lead to dire circumstances.
Telehealth ensures proper aftercare by providing the patient’s caretaker with an excellent platform to learn from and receive answers for their queries. It has reduced the room for human error and provided a cost-efficient manner of recovery.
Instant assistance for Chronic conditions
Not every disease sets in slowly or gives way for gradual treatment. Some are sudden, and the impact they have needs to be countered immediately. For instance, a heart attack is fatal and could lead to death if not appropriately handled on the spot. Unfortunately, it isn’t always feasible to drive to the hospital in such situations.
But if urgent medical attention isn’t provided, the patient is at risk of expiring. This is where Telehealth has come in, saving lives through video consultations and virtual correspondence. Doctors can instruct patients’ caretakers on how to deal with and stabilise the situation. In this regard, e-medicine has made coping with chronic conditions less nerve-wracking.
Easier cross consultation
Telehealth applications aren’t just limited to consultations between doctors and patients. Many hospitals are integrating their system to include virtual correspondence through different departments. Automatically, it becomes easier for doctors to consult with other professionals regarding procedures and protocols.
Multiple doctors can efficiently work on a patient’s case without ambiguity. The patient’s file is easier to maintain, and doctors can exchange notes on how to direct treatment as time proceeds. This has introduced a deft efficiency in the healthcare system and helped doctors save up on necessary time.
Guarded privacy
People avoid going to the hospital for various reasons. Be it fear of catching a deadly virus or any other illness or embarrassment or just a general preference for privacy. Many people avoid going to the hospital when they initially face symptoms of a disease. From there on, the symptoms develop into a full-on illness that could easily have been mitigated by providing proper attention at the beginning.
When you take out the factor of physically going to a hospital, many people in Pakistan exhibit a less reluctant attitude towards their health. Telehealth has allowed anxious patients to receive treatment and diagnosis without being overwhelmed by the stimuli present in a hospital. This is a milestone for many.
Coming together for a healthier future
The popularity of e-medicine in Pakistan has seen a significant improvement. But, it is far from where we need to be on the road to advancement. Different corporations, healthcare professionals, and government bodies must come together to integrate e-medicine into the healthcare system.
It will require upturning hospitals to upgrade equipment and training medical staff to manage these digital systems properly. While this is an effort that will take time, money, and a lot of hard work, it is an effort that will bear fruit at every turn.