Jaroka initiated mobile based services in rural Mardan

We are developing a sustainable Tele-healthcare system that utilizes the mobile platform to extend tele-healthcare services in rural Mardan. This includes Short Messaging Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). Upto now we have successfully developed, tested and utilized SMS Service in the facility. It is one of the most vital objectives of our project as we will be providing training to LHWs by unleashing the opportunities provided by mobile platform. Mobile is one of the best ways to reach to public in order to create health awareness as large population in Pakistan uses mobile and providing services through it.

The SMS Service application developed by our team members enables lady health workers operating in rural areas and disaster affected communities to get rapid diagnosis, expert advice, and opinions from specialists around the world. For the time being SMS service is being utilized to connect to our central system through SMS to get expert medical advice, register patients and their appointments with the doctors. This service is helping in reducing the sudden deaths, medical complications and increasing prevention of pandemic diseases in rural areas at a very low-cost.

Following SMS based mobile services have been implemented:

• New patient registration
• Information about the definition of a disease
• Symptoms of the disease
• Assessment plan (AP) services
• Broadcast SMS message to Group
• Vaccination Alert Services