Telemedicine: an imperative concept during COVID-19 pandemic in Africa

David, Kenneth Bitrus; Solomon, Joan Kuyet; Yunusa, Ismaeel; Lawal, Basira Kankia; Marshal, Cephas Stanley; Okereke, Melody; Ozuluoha, Cynthia Chioma

With social distancing being a key preventative measure of COVID-19, proper provision of healthcare services becomes a challenge as healthcare professionals are concerned about the risk of potential infection. Telemedicine, a practice that uses telecommunication networks for the delivery of healthcare services and medical education, has been adopted by several countries and has shown to provide positive outcomes. This concept is poorly practiced in African Countries compared to other countries of the world. This paper reiterates the need for the expansion of telemedical systems in Africa for the dual goals of COVID-19 prevention and provision of quality healthcare services to people.