Accra, Aug 31, GNA – BIMA Ghana, a provider of
mobile health delivery and insurance products has been awarded the Leading
Telemedicine Provider in Ghana at the West African Clinical Awards (WACAA) held
in Accra.
The prestigious award, which was to honour
innovative players in the healthcare industry, recognised BIMA for its
pioneering work in improving access to quality healthcare through the use of
mobile technology.
BIMA uses mobile technology to deliver
affordable insurance and health products to underserved customers in emerging
markets who cannot access these vital products through traditional channels and
also creates a paperless experience with the distribution of products and the
provision of relevant customer education to about 1.9 million Ghanaians.
This tech-enabled approach, is the key to
BIMA’s growth, reaching 26 million customers in 15 markets across Africa, Asia
and Latin America.
In Ghana, it is common for patients to travel
considerable distances or sacrifice hours waiting in a clinic before seeing a
doctor. This, along with the high cost of consultations, often prevent people
from seeking medical help.
In this context, Madam Christina Tuemmers, a
Divisional Manager of mHealth at BIMA, speaking in an interview with the Ghana
News Agency said telemedicine provides an opportunity to relieve the burden on
the hospital system and also provides safe and confidential ways for citizens
to obtain medical advice anywhere in the country.
The award, she added was a major step in
recognizing telemedicine as a standalone health service meant to complement
already existing means of delivering health care in the country.
She expressed appreciation for the honour and
said “our contributions in improving access to affordable and quality health
care would be taken a notch higher in the coming years”.
Dr David Sunu, Chief Medical Officer of BIMA
indicated that BIMA was at the forefront of legitimate telemedicine practice in
Ghana, and said the award was a confirmation of the company’s high clinical
standards and customer service that underpinned the delivery of the BIMA Doctor
Service.
BIMA Doctor, he noted was a pioneer of the
telemedicine industry in the country and was the first, and currently the only
licensed provider in the country launched in 2015.
According to him, the service had evolved into
full-fledge telemedicine service in the past three years, offering access to
generalists and specialists, e-prescriptions via SMS as well as the provision
of laboratory referral service and discounts to subscribers.
Mr Damien Gueroult, the Country Manager of
BIMA, indicated that, the roaring mobile penetration and increasing data usage
in Ghana would create vast opportunity to reach the mass market that previously
were excluded from health service and particularly preventive care.
He revealed that his outfit would in the
coming weeks launch the BIMA Doctor Mobile App which would offer additional
value and added service to customers and potential ones.
The BIMA Doctor App, he added would enable
subscribers to access and manage their medical records, locate the nearest
health facility and talk to the BIMA Doctor medical team by phone or chat.
GNA