by BY Gorge Odok Jr. – Calabar
The Nigerian Medical Association in Cross River has launched a free Healthcare Connect Service at the Calabar Women and Children Hospital for residents in the state.
Launching the Connect Service on Saturday in Calabar, Dr Ofem Enang, 2nd Vice President of NMA, National, said the service was meant to connect residents in the state with qualified healthcare personnel in view of the stay at home order of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Enang said that the launching became necessary in other to help residents access quality healthcare within this period.
According to him, the Connect Service will ensure that residents in the state are linked up with specialist on different medical fields to attend to their health needs.
Speaking, Chairman of NMA in the state, Dr Agam Ayuk who gave out the numbers, 09081599993 and 09081599994, urged residents to call and lay complain whenever they have health challenges and needed prescriptions or referrals to any health facility for treatment.
Ayuk said that with the stay at home order of the government, suspected Covid-19 cases and others who may have other healthcare needs may be prevented from accessing desired or required healthcare.
He explained that hospitals and other health institutions were doing everything possible to keep crowds away from the hospitals.
“As we prepare to contain Covid-19, we must not lose sight of other health challenges faced by the populace, especially the vulnerable in Cross River and beyond.
“Our consulting rooms are scanty for the above stated reasons; pertinent questions that should bother us as healthcare providers are; has Covid-19 made other diseases to suddenly disappear?
“If the answer is no, where are the patients receiving care? If they can’t get to the certified professionals, are they seeking help from quacks or they just remain at home and bear their burden and wait for dead?
“The focus of the Connect Service is to provide citizens the go-to-place to access evidence based, Covid-19 public health and safety information”, he said.
He further said that the Connect Service will also identify and manage other health problems requiring over the counter medications based on standardized protocols.
According to him, the centre will also request essential laboratory tests, where necessary for patients with minor health problems based on standardized protocols.
“The centre will also provide remote consultation for patients with chronic illness for the purpose of ordering medication refill or schedule hospital appointments for them with their respective hospitals to keep them safely away from the public.
“The e-health centre will also provide online triage of respiratory infections and scheduling special appointments for these patients with relevant hospitals.
“The centre will also provide those on schedule healthcare appointments with a valid, verifiable electronic pass to see their respective doctors and home service when necessary for the elderly”, he said.
- The Connect Service is headed by Dr Elihu Osim, the Chairman of Information and Communication Technology Committee.
