By Lanji Ouko
If you watched the popular television series “Royal Pains” on USA Network television that premiered June 4, 2009 starring Feuerstein, the concept of door-to-door medical services is not a new practice to you. It is based on a concierge medicine practice of independent doctors and companies.
The show depicts the door-to-door doctor service as the most efficient and ideal way to go about health matters in order to avoid the problems involved with medical malpractices.
In the recent past, claims of medical negligence and malpractice by medical practitioners have been on the rise with most of the victims blaming the procedural inadequacies as Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board are accused of not having the powers to effectively or being reluctant to deal with unethical conduct of medical practitioners.
Justice does not prevail for patients who have fallen victim of medical negligence due to the fact that the medics are reluctant to testify against their colleagues. Besides, it has been quite difficult to file a case based on medical negligence because of the lack of proper legislation.
In order to avoid the small mishaps that go on in the health facilities, a number of people have turned to a new medical concept, the door-to-door doctor service. Tel A Nurse, a company based in Nairobi provides its service to help the community deal with the day to day hassle of commuting to the hospital as well as services which include home nursing care, physiotherapy, blood taking for hospital blood tests and most importantly, 24hr call-a-doctor service.
The company has a team of highly trained and experienced doctors who are on-¬call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for you and your family. Additionally, the company provides emergency transport services in order for one to access healthcare services at hospitals and clinics where one may have their regular follow up appointments.
Many view this concept as a threat to the rest of the health facilities, because it is clearly more efficient. However, it is not popularly used because of the costs that are to be incurred.
The main advantage of the door-to-door health services is the fact that the team of professionals caters for individual needs with personalized and professional care in the comfort of one’s home. The company was established in the late 90s and later incorporated in 2007.
Those who have opted to use this service refer to it as the safer option, which provides outstanding quality of service and customized healthcare.
The increasing demand in improved healthcare solutions has brought out other trends in the health sector, which is a clear indication of too many loopholes in the field. A Smartphone application has been developed in parts of Africa, which introduced the door-to-door concept, to allow patients to book for a doctor to their home for a consultation. Pager, the app created by former Uber engineer Oscar Salazar and funded by venture capitalist Gaspard de Dreuzy was launched in May 2015 and is slowly being adopted in the U.S, Asia and Africa?
Tell a Nurse works with patients who have either been discharged and need palliative care temporarily or patients who suffer from terminal diseases.
The proprietor, Sheila Khaemba, says there is a dire need for the government to address the issue of medical care and nursing homes for the senior citizens, adding that in other parts of the world senior citizens are covered in many ways by their governments mostly for their medical care as it is at this stage that they are prone to many health issues.
In the developed economies, she says, the senior citizens receive tax breaks, prescription discounts and preferential services. Locally however, other than the regular pension, there is some neglect of senior citizens who may not be financially able to sustain themselves, hence the rampant premature deaths by curable ailments.
“As a group we are working on setting up a foundation that would be donor funded to start by helping in whichever way we can by donating our skills and expertise,” Ms Khaemba says.
