eDoctor is Healthcare EdTech startup platform, this is joint venture between a premier Technology company Educast (Pvt) Ltd- (www.educast.co.uk) and Pakistan’s leading Medical Education Institute, Dow University of Health Sciences (www.duhs.edu.pk) specially designed to provide Virtual Mode of Teaching and Training to Medical Faculty.
As first project, it is catering to the uplift for currently out of work Lady Doctors, who have been out of professional practice due to their family or social issues.
The concept has been designed to use the innovative Ed Tech tools in re connecting these out of work lady doctors on a single platform, provide them Virtual based Teaching of new and updated Medial education in form of a reach program of 6 months covering all aspects required to be General Physician.
As step 1: A crash program is titled as Family Medicine Certification for 6 months duration has been designed by team of Dow University of Health Sciences under the guidance of Prof Dr Muhammad Masroor- Pro Vice Chancellor, DUHS- Ojha Campus.
From Technology side , the project is headed by Ms Sania Butt-Chief Executive-Phonecast(pvt)Ltd, a Clinical Phycologist and IT Entrepreneur, specializing in Virtual Educational technology and Tele health.
From Academic side the project is headed by Professor Dr Jehan Ara Ainuddin- Head of Obs & Gyne-DUHS and Dr Anum, Head of Family Medicine, DUHS.
Theme
A team of two Healthcare & IT professionals, Prof Dr Jehan Ara and Tech Female Clinical Phycologist Sania Butt, both of them are spearheading this innovative Healthcare -EdTech startup, through which this wonderful project has emerged:
Through their Pilot project they have managed to bring back nearly 300 such out of work lady doctors from Pakistani metros and even living in places like rural Punjab, KPK, Balochistan and Gilgit as well as
abroad like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, North America, China, Malaysia, Yemen, Sudan, Malaysia, UK, Australia etc,
Demographic spread of Ist Batch-120 Lady Doctors
These are all such Pakistani lady doctors who have been settled after finishing their medical graduation. Now raising kids or Surfing TV Channels.
This come back has been through use of latest EdTech platform, using Flip Model teaching and Interactive Digital Trainings over newer Healthcare models and updated medical practices taught by top medical faculty from Dow University of Health sciences.
Government in getting training of these Medial Graduates for 5 years plus 2 years of house job costing state a more than Rs 5.0 million on each such medical professional once passed out.
This effort of eDoctor thus bringing back Rs 1.5 billion of state investments which was spend by currently through use of newer Mobile Health platforms, these Re- Trained Lady doctors can serve the community with much needed medial support even from their homes.
This project has been endorsed by leading organizations of the country, which includes Federal Health Ministry & Sindh Provincial Health departments.
Among Endorsing and supporting organizations are :
- Federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, Govt of Pakistan
- National Committee for Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health,
Govt of Pakistan - National Maternal, Neonatal & Child Health Program,
Govt of Sindh - Pakistan Medical Association, Karachi
- Dow Graduate Association of North America
- Ziauddin University of Health Sciences
- Comsats Institute of Information Technology
- College of Family Medicine
- Pakistan Television Corporation
- Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd
- Contech - International Health Consultants
- HANDS ( Health & Nutrition Development Society).
- PPAF – Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund
- Taaleem Foundation – Balochistan
Way Forward for these Re Trained Lady Doctors:
As among these retained doctors are many, who have crossed the house hold limitation of small or school going kids. Their children are now grown up and also there are not much family restrictions on them, these Out of work doctors once trained and registered with Pakistan Medical and Dental Council are fully geared to work in field and also are willing to start self practice.
This project hence will start building a shortfall of female doctors in community.
As for such home based doctors still in age of family restrictions of barrier on doing outside jobs due to domestic or family commitments, are being trained through eDoctor program to use innovative tele health platforms and trainings to provide back end healthcare services for remote hospitals or clinics after clinic timings are over.
All the eDoctors are trained on how to use remote patient monitoring devices, how to populate Electronic Medical Record application, how to handle live calls and how to do video based consultation.
So none of the category of retrained lady doctors will loose their training edge and will be having ample opportunities to provide services and also become a bread earner in their family beside becoming a health care professional.