A South African doctor hopes to transform the medical field by developing products and services that solve problems typically experienced by remote and underfunded state hospitals and clinics, reports Rapport.
One of these projects solves two of the most significant issues facing South Africa’s medical industry — the lack of job placements for new graduates and understaffed and underfunded state hospitals and clinics.
Dr Juandre Klopper and two friends, Dr Matt te Water Naudé and mathematician Freddie O’Donnell, developed an app that pairs hospitals seeking locums with young doctors looking for work.
But it was not only this app, there is also innovation around cheaper and more effective medical devices, as well as managing nursing care, all taking into account South Africa’s unique challenges.
With dwindling financial resources, increasing demand on medical care, things will only get worse and worse over time if real innovation (technology as well as procedural) is not applied. I’ve seen the same thing happening with public benefit charities getting smaller grants from government (where are the ever-increasing taxes going? I have no idea…) and having to innovate themselves to survive. Some charities have even raised grant funding from foreign countries.
South Africans have always been very resilient in the face of overwhelming challenges. In one way these will benefit everyone globally, but from another perspective this is extremely sad too that such adversity needs to be overcome. Yes, I know you’re thinking now: Imagine if governments themselves could be this innovative! Imagine more better services at every lower tax rates… Governments the world around today seem to be the least efficient businesses of all.
See https://mybroadband.co.za/news/software/565029-doctors-apps-decrease-burdensome-cost-of-medtech.html