Telemedicine: New trend doctors in Nigeria device for treating illnesses

By Kingsley Chukwuka

Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria, (SOFPON), has said doctors are undergoing training on the use of technology to enhance their efficiency and availability in attending to patients.

SOFPON said illnesses such as Malaria, typhoid and other diseases can be handled through zoom or telephone calls where the patient can speak with the doctor and get prescriptions.

Speaking on Thursday in Jos, the President SOFPON, Prof Musa Dankyau, explained that the initiative became necessary after the outbreak of the COVID-I9 pandemic which forced the whole world to stay indoors.

Dr. Dankyau who spoke on the occasion of the 2022 world Family Doctor’s Day, however added that doctors can still refer their patients to the hospital in cases that cannot be treated through the means of technology.

He said the challenges of being present at the hospital at all times due to the nature of their job is also a factor that necessitated the new strategy tagged “telemedicine”.

According to him: “Doctors are present at all times because continuity of care is a fundamental feature of our practice. “We continuously provide care from cradle to grave through our first contact practice and coordination with other specialists and health professionals. This creates a special challenge for Doctors today to adopt and constantly refine new strategies and technologies including telemedicine which will enable us to always be there”, Dankyau said.

He continued: “Doctors are there, wherever and whenever. We are at the front-line, delivering service in a variety of health institutions from one-man practices to large tertiary hospitals.

“This also comes with significant risks for SOFPON members working at the front-line of disease outbreaks and insecure locations throughout Nigeria”, the SOFPON president said.

Our correspondent reports that the World Family Doctors Day (FDD), was first declared by the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), on 19th May 2010 and it has became a day to highlight the role and contribution of family doctors in health care system around the world.