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(Private) primary health care goes high-tech
Business Report
2000-06-23

Bringing primary health care to rural areas has always been a problem. Now a medical schemes company aims to bring clinics to rural areas as an extension of the private health care system in South Africa.

Medical scheme marketer and administrator Tricover plans to make inroads into primary healthcare with a state-of-the art mobile clinic.

Raymond Venter, MD of Tricover, says the company wants to set up 450 mobile clinics over the next 30 months at a cost of about R200-million.

In collaboration with motor giant Samcor and information technology

company IBM, Tricover has developed a fully-equipped mobile clinic that can get to the most remote parts of the country without leaving the medical specialists behind. Pharmacy clinics and on-site clinics for industries have also been developed. Using wireless technology - radio communication and ISDN lines – the clinic nurses can remain in contact with an online doctor based at the company's operations centre.

While specially developed clinic software assists the nurse in her tasks, including diagnoses, allergy warnings and dispensing of medication, it also allows the nurse to perform at least 30 different pathology tests. An image of the lab specimen is sent directly from the microscope to a pathologist at the operations room for expert analysis. The results can be transmitted back to the nurse within seconds, with recommended treatment from the doctor.

Video-conferencing allows the doctor in the operations centre to prescribe scheduled medicines otherwise not available through a clinic, and if necessary the patient can be referred to hospital. In cases like this the clinic itself can be detached from the vehicle, which can then be used to transport the patient in an emergency.

All patient information is stored in a central database, making the system almost completely paperless. The clinic can be adapted for use in different climates and terrains – it comes with air-conditioning, an ozone unit that captures bacteria and removes odours, and hot and cold running water.

The system has been designed for use by employers who need to provide medical services on site and for local governments who struggle to supply health services in under-served areas.

Venter says the clinics will cater to the vast numbers of South Africans who are employed but medically uninsured. Where industry sponsors the clinic for use by its workforce, the charge is a flat rate of R40 a month for an employee for consultations and medication.

"SA's private healthcare industry is large and highly developed but it is estimated that only 20% to 25% of the population have regular access to this sector. Broadening access is recognised as an important goal in improving the quality of healthcare available to all South Africans."
(Source: Business Times, 18/6/00)

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