NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, January 12, 2015

Tech entrepreneurs seem to be describing a nightmare when they share accounts of when they had to deal with the regulatory authorities whilst striving to introduce tech solutions for health.

Many have bemoaned the Byzantine bureaucracy of rigorous regulations that eventually lead to a shut door that can not be opened but from the inside. It becomes quite to tempting to simply conclude that common sense is not at all common. Practical applications of technology such as telemedicine, have faced unexpected hindrances.

As mentioned previously, Econet now has its own own Dial-a-Doctor service. Even though it is still a pilot, the fact that the dial 147 service is already operational raises alarms. Effectively this means Telemedicine is here in Zimbabwe.

So why the interest and fascination? Well to put it simply, telemedicine is revolutionary. For Zimbabwe it will certainly bring disruptive innovation to healthcare. As in all the great revolutions of history, telemedicine is earmarked with inevitability.

Despite the resistance, the curve of the universe always bends towards a good idea. This particularly applies to telemedicine because it is provides convenience. Human nature has a default setting towards seeking convenience. So eventually telemedicine will happen but we should strive to make it happen sooner than later.