MTN launches e-Health service in Cameroon
MTN Cameroon signed, on Wednesday 16 September 2015, a partnership agreement with the Ministry of Public Health authorizing the telecommunications company to provide the public with a health assistance platform dubbed MTN Health.
The MTN Health platform is concrete illustration, in the health domain, concerning the New Digital World promised by MTN, to enhance the living standards of the population. The platform seeks to ease access by a greater majority of Cameroonians to quality health services by using Information and Communication Technologies.
Read below an address by Mrs Philisiwe Sibiya, CEO, MTN Cameroon
Your Excellency the Minister of Public Health;
The Chairman of the Cameroon National Medical Council;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Dear Invitees,
It gives me great pleasure to take the floor before you today, on the occasion of signing the MTN Health Convention between MTN Cameroon and the Ministry of Public Health. This convention shall reinforce the partnership which already exists between MTN and the Cameroon Government in the implementation of technological solutions that seek to improve the living standards of Cameroonians.
Let me first of all thank His Excellency the Minister of Public Health, Mr. André MAMA FOUDA, for his availability, which is clear testimony of the cordial relationship between MTN Cameroon and the Ministry of Public Health. In fact, we have always benefitted support provided by His Excellency the Minister and Ministry of Public Health in implementing our projects in the health domain.
For several years now, through our corporate foundation, the MTN Foundation, we have been working with the Cameroon Government to ease access by the greater majority of Cameroonians to quality health services.
With our partners the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), we set up an ambitious programme to fight against child and maternal mortality. Within the framework of this initiative, about a hundred women were relieved of obstetrical fistula at the Norwegian Hospital in NGAOUNDERE, in 2014. We equally equipped 03 schools specialized in the training of mid-wives in the towns of BAMENDA, GAROUA and YAOUNDE. And we have on-going projects to refurbish and equip maternity hospitals in the FAR NORTH, NORTH and EAST Regions.
Furthermore, our engagement covers the fight against Malaria, HIV-AIDS and other major diseases such as diabetes. The SMS Printer programme put in place with the Clinton Foundation today enables to speedily determine the serology status of new-born babies in 86 hospitals nationwide so as to immediately place these infants under treatment when they are infected with HIV through Mother-to-child.
We also contribute to boost the hosting capacity of our hospitals. We therefore installed a haemodialysis centre at the Yaounde General Hospital and participated in the construction of a modern ward to host sickle cell patients at the DOUALA LAQUINTINIE hospital.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
Today, we want to go even further in this Public-Private partnership which supports Cameroon to attain the Millennium Development Goals. And for us at MTN, innovative leader in telecommunications, going even further means providing health professionals with Information and Communication Technologies in order to enable many people who live in Cameroon to be adequately informed and well treated.
We are now in the digital age. And ICT offer immense possibilities which already fully benefit sectors such Teaching, Commerce, Finance, and Agro-food. This gives me the occasion once more to thank His Excellency the Minister for having understood, through authorising the MTN Health platform that, ICT is equally an important opportunity for public health in Cameroon.
If Cameroon roughly has 01 medical doctor for 10,000 inhabitants, on the other hand, 90% of the population has access to mobile telephony. Put together, the available medical staff and innovative technologies we have could enable enhance access to health services. This is the solution we are proposing through the MTN Health platform.
This platform we have developed shall provide securitized electronic services within the strict respect of privacy, and in collaboration with the Cameroon National Medical Council as well as other stakeholders of the Public Health sector.
MTN Healthshall enable everyone, irrespective of their location, to contact a medical doctor or hospital, ask question, consult and access health tips.
When your child develops a temperature, you will not go out late in the night without knowing whether the nearest pharmacy is open.. MTN Health shall help you cope with this concern. With regards to the multiple vaccination dates of your child, it is not obvious that you remember them. Again, the solution is in this platform.
With an SMS or simple internet access, MTN Health shall enable you to have the appropriate information at the appropriate time. Qualified medical doctors shall be available to assist users in real time.
MTN Health can moreover serve as a medium for local and international health organizations that want to share advice on diseases and health risks.
We shall release an appropriate communication in the days ahead to enable all health stakeholders and the population to know how MTN Health functions.
I hereby express my gratitude to the teams of MTN, Ministry of Public Health and Cameroon National Medical Council for having made this platform a reality.
Let’s continue to fight for the welfare of the population.
Thank you.