• Telemedicine solutions are great for making access to healthcare simpler, they can also be a way for young doctors to gather experience.
• Guardian Eye’s AVA platform trains young doctors to provide virtual consultations with patients allowing them to gain valuable experience.
• Telemedicine can also help to support local pharmacies.

Telephonic and video doctor consultations (telemedicine) has been on the rise since the pandemic. The ability to call up a doctor and receive a consult virtually also makes healthcare accessible to folks far away from a doctor or hospital.

However, managing director at Guardian Eye, Rodney Taylor, says that telemedicine also presents an opportunity for young doctors looking to gain valuable experience.

“It’s a challenging environment out there at the moment for doctors. Many, who can, are leaving for other countries such as Canada, and if they aren’t currently in the process of moving, many are watching developments closely as they seek to protect their careers. However, going to Canada is not easy and an expensive exercise,” says Taylor.

“On the other hand, there are many doctors who, once they finish their community service, can’t find work in the private sector, and as Health Minister Joe Phaahla has said this year, finding budget for doctors’ salaries in the public sector is proving to be a challenge. Starting a practice is out of reach for many as it involves bank loans, leases, staff hire, marketing, expensive health insurance and much more. Telemedicine as a managed service provides an alternative, sustainable and attractive career option for the country’s doctors,” the MD added.

Newly graduated doctors can become part of Guardian Eye’s AVA platform where they work alongside other medical professionals providing virtual consultations. Guardian Eye even has a facility to train doctors in providing virtual consultations.

While telemedicine has been around for a while, as with most things, the spread of COVID-19 saw more people taking advantage of it. This has seen the healthcare sector experience monumentous change as folks lean on telemedicine for more common ailments. This means that doctors will need to become more proficient in providing virtual consultations.

Something Taylor mentions that we hadn’t considered as a benefit of telemedicine is how it props up local pharmacies. Rather than heading to a hospital or medical facility to get a consultation and then heading to the pharmacy downstairs, a patient could nip down to their local pharmacy to fill their prescription.

Telemedicine is only becoming more advanced and investment in the sector is growing rapidly so hopefully the healthcare sector is keeping up with the innovations and investing in what is looking to be the future of healthcare access.

[Image – Tech Journal from Pixabay]