Hospitals in Sokoto State are exploring the potential of mobile health (mHealth) services, but many are held back by high costs and limited knowledge of the technology.
While some hospitals are familiar with mHealth, which involves using mobile devices like phones and tablets to provide healthcare, others still rely on traditional methods like ambulances and phone consultations.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), citing the Global Observatory for eHealth (GOe) defines mHealth as medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices such as mobile phones, patient monitoring devices, personal digital assistants and other wireless devices.
mHealth has gained traction in recent years, particularly in developing countries, due to the widespread availability of mobile devices.
It allows healthcare providers to remotely monitor patients’ vital signs, transmit data to doctors, and even perform medical examinations in real-time. This is particularly beneficial in remote areas where access to healthcare professionals is limited.
Despite the promise of mHealth, many hospitals in Sokoto are lagging in its implementation.
The secretary of R. Aminchi Medical Specialist Hospital, Richard Joseph Tobi, shared that although they received training on mHealth technology, the cost of installation was prohibitive.
“We were asked to pay N20 million for the installation, but we don’t have that kind of money here,” he explained. The government organized the training for both private and public hospitals in the state, providing them with login credentials, but the high cost remains a major barrier.
One of the trainers, Mr. Wale from Abuja, confirmed that the software is ready for use, but financial constraints are delaying its deployment.
Dr. Ahmed Bello of Reliance Specialist Hospital mentioned that while they are aware of mHealth, they have yet to adopt it and currently rely on ambulances for serious cases.
“We use the ambulance only when a patient’s illness is severe. If we responded to every call, no one would come to the hospital,” he said.
Similarly, Miss Joy Lucy Abah, a secretary at Iffah Hospital, revealed that they plan to introduce mHealth early next year. “We’ve heard about mHealth being used in Lagos and Abuja, but it’s still new here in Sokoto. We are working on starting by next year,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Basic Health Care in Sokoto has adopted a simpler version of mHealth, relying on phone consultations and ambulances.
“We allow patients to call between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm, and if needed, we dispatch an ambulance,” said staff nurse Bello Dikko Ibrahim.
The clinic primarily handle cases of typhoid, malaria, gastrointestinal issues, and UTIs, ensuring that patients with severe conditions receive close monitoring.
However, other hospitals, including Medistop Clinical Diagnostics, Shepherd Specialist Hospital, Ashmed Specialist Hospital, and Liberty Clinic, admitted that they had never heard of mHealth, highlighting the gaps in awareness and access to this emerging technology.
While some hospitals are making plans to integrate mHealth into their services, the road to widespread adoption in Sokoto remains fraught with financial and logistical challenges.
