Daktari Smart telemedicine initiative targets 32,400 children

Source: Capital FM Kenya
Author: Phidel Kizito

NAIROBI, Kenya, April 12 - Daktari Smart, a telemedicine programme run by Gertrude's Children's Hospital, plans to reach 32,400 children in five counties in the initial stage.

The collaborative initiative is between its foundation and the M-Pesa Foundation.

Under a deal, the partners seek to serve 5 million children in the region as well as provide care to 45,000 minors suffering from rare and complex non-communicable diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Since it was launched in 2021, the Daktari Smart initiative has reached ten thousand (10,000) children with specialized pediatric medical care.

The initiative is providing services in Narok, Samburu, Baringo, Homa Bay, and Lamu counties.

Gertrude's Children's Hospital CEO Robert Nyarango encouraged healthcare stakeholders to consider utilizing telemedicine technology to provide quality, affordable care while increasing coverage and lowering preventable childhood deaths.

"The Daktari Smart programme has so far been implemented in 5 counties, allowing 10,000 children to access specialised paediatric care that they would otherwise never have received," Nyarango said during World Health Day.

"There is an opportunity to serve more children through working together as stakeholders to increase the number of counties on Daktari Smart to support the limited number of paediatricians and other specialists," he added.

"At such a scale and with the communities covered under Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), the healthcare system will be strengthened to deliver high quality early diagnosis and more efficient utilization of the available scarce healthcare resources."

The Daktari Smart Telemedicine Kit comprises electronic medical devices such as the electronic stethoscope, vital signs monitor, dermascope camera, ultrasound machine, inner ear observing otoscope, and electrocardiogram (ECG) to check heart rhythm and electrical activity.

Karen Basiye, Director Sustainable Business and Social Impact at Safaricom PLC, called for partnership and investment to sustain the impact managed through health-tech initiatives such as the Daktari Smart programme.

"We need to get partners and financing to support technology initiatives that improve healthcare accessibility and inclusivity," said Basiye.