SA is a unique country that demands novel solutions. On the one hand we face the quadruple disease burden of HIV/Aids and TB; high maternal and child mortality; rising non-communicable diseases burden; and high violence and injuries.
On the other hand, we have deep structural societal issues of inequality, poverty and unemployment which, as our president has said, is tearing the fabric of our communities apart. These issues have really come to a boiling point during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As the number of confirmed coronavirus Covid-19 cases continue to rise every day, dealing with a pandemic of this magnitude, compounded by the underlying societal challenges, places even greater strain on the country’s precious health care sector, particularly the overburdened public sector.
Many challenges exist coupled with very limited resources across both the public and private health industries. The health care sector was not able to prepare for the pandemic well in advance nor was it able to deal with the pandemic being declared a national disaster, where rapid action is required.
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This is not a public sector or private sector issue, Covid-19 is a national crisis, which demands that all players in the sector, including medical aid schemes, be nimble enough to embrace the current situation and turn the pandemic into an opportunity to serve their members and our nation.
Technology and 4IR for increased access to quality health care
We are living in the technology age of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and if schemes are to increase access to quality health care, they must put innovation and technology at the very core of their operations to avoid disruption.
Stunning technological progress has led to successful treatment and management of previously fatal diseases such as HIV/Aids and certain forms of cancer. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and 3D printing, faster data processing and the lower cost of data storage at scale have been instrumental.
A number of hospitals internationally are turning to AI tools to detect Covid-19 on chest CT or X-Ray scans. With accuracy rates reported at 98%, AI can provide another line of defence and safety for the overwhelmed, courageous and selfless front-line doctors and nurses who put their own lives at risk to ensure that our families, colleagues and communities receive treatment and are safe.
Through continued enhancement and collaboration, AI has the potential to not only detect Covid-19 but also provide staging of the disease and predict treatments such as identifying which patients require a ventilator or no longer need one after recovery. In many overburdened health care settings where there are limited ventilators and hospital beds, AI can play an integral part of the health care ecosystem by relieving pressure on the doctors and ensuring patients receive the appropriate treatment.
Likewise, in a SA context, the use of technology and innovation can unlock quality access to health care and ensure that our health care resources are optimally used. Embracing these principles in our saying, Medshield has launched Medshield SmartCare — an innovative virtual medical consultation tool — which has paved the way for the adoption of telemedicine in SA. Since its launch, the programme has received very positive feedback. It is not only convenient but it puts the trust back into health care, and more recently is a way of accessing a GP during the current Covid-19 lockdown period.
Source: BusinessLIVE
