On April of this year, UNDP held a competition for innovative solutions, where more than 70 applications were received within two weeks. One of the winners of the competition was a project on telemedicine. We talked with Director of the Prime Clinic medical center-Arman Alibayev about how telemedicine helps to cope with the pandemic.  

The spread of coronavirus infection has become a challenge for health systems around the world and in our country. Doctors are faced with an unprecedented workload, and digital solutions that can facilitate it are more relevant than ever. The head of the medical center decided to organize remote consultations for citizens on any issues related to health, thus saving patients from having to visit clinics during the self-isolation regime. This, in turn, is known to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection.

"At this stage, we have already created a website PrimeDoc, which has a catalog of our doctors and the possibility to make online appointments to them. Consultations are held in the WhatsApp app. In order to ensure the security and processing of patient’s  data, it is necessary to implement a mobile application with the "electronic medical card" function. After the appointment, the patient will be able to view the entire history of consultations, correspondence, attached documents and recommendations. Managers of medical institutions can still keep records and statistics» - Arman Alibaev.

In the near future, an application will be created on the basis of the grant provided by UNDP, where both patients and doctors will be able to conduct online consultations, exchange files and receive answers to questions from the medical chatbot.

The algorithm of the application:

- The user registers in the mobile app using their phone number.

- Selects the doctor and free time in the schedule.

- Then they need to make a payment. The payment can be done by using mobile wallets or terminals in stores. Now we are working on the issue of connecting Internet acquiring, so that users can pay for the service with a Bank card.

- The administrator confirms the appointment and sends the link to the patient.

- At the chosen time, he calls the doctor and receives a consultation.

According to Arman Alibayev, after the launch of the mobile app, doctors will consult up to 50 patients a day. Consultations will be paid, approximately 250 soms. Since there is a catastrophic shortage of medical staff, doctors do not have the opportunity to consult for free, many of them work in several places and receive a miserable salary. 

During the pandemic and quarantine, we really need to reduce the risk of transmission. Thanks to telemedicine, patients will receive high-quality medical advice. Also, patients feel more comfortable being in a familiar, home environment. During the pandemic, the number of patients rapidly increased, and therefore, it became necessary to use all medical resources. We can use our resources more efficiently. At the same time, thanks to telemedicine, it is possible to protect both yourselves and others.