Friday March 29th, 2024
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This ‘Virtual Clinic’ Platform is Offering Two Free E-Check Ups to Patients in Egypt & Middle East

Ember Medical makes it possible for doctors and patients to uphold social distancing tactics with virtual clinics that allow live video and text consultations, limiting the need for in-person medical visits during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Staff Writer

As countries across the world move to strict curfews and lockdowns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors in Egypt are moving their clinics from in-person to virtual, encouraging social distancing and limiting the need for in-person interaction during these critical times.

EMBER Medical’s telehealth platform is an easy-to-use mobile video and texting application that helps us all stay home and safe, even when we require medical advice and attention. All patients, not just those presenting COVID-19 symptoms, are encouraged to use EMBER to connect with their personal doctors or any other doctor on EMBER’s specialist network for a safe, simple and convenient way to access healthcare. EMBER’s team is offering everyone who signs up to the service two free calls with the doctor of their choice, in a move to encourage more Egyptians to stay isolated during the pandemic.

 “Approximately 70-80% of my clinic appointments can be done remotely,” says EMBER Chief Medical Officer and Cardiologist Mohamed Elshazly. “For those who need chronic disease management and follow up, a virtual call with their doctor is equally effective as an in-person appointment. Most importantly, it is 100% effective in preventing viral spread. It is our duty as physicians to avoid any in-person patient visits unless they are absolutely urgent.”

As recommended by WHO Guidelines and global health leaders around the world, telehealth is a pivotal solution in the fight against COVID-19. With remote care, patients no longer need to travel to clinics or hospitals where the risk of infection is highest. It also provides protection to physicians and healthcare workers, who are better able to avoid spreading the virus due to unnecessary contact with infected individuals.

Telehealth services (sometimes called telemedicine) like EMBER’s are seeing unprecedented support from governments and healthcare systems around the world, including the United States and the UK, and business experts expect their use to skyrocket and become the norm over the course of the next few years.

“In this pandemic, all physicians are heavily involved in response efforts, and it is critical that patients do their part in keeping those working the frontlines free from infection,” says Dr. Elshazly. “A doctor that remains healthy can help thousands of patients over the course of this outbreak.”

With EMBER, physicians can move their entire patient base to EMBER’s virtual clinic platform in less than 10 minutes. As a patient, you will receive your doctor’s unique QR code, add them as a contact on the app and call or text them directly within minutes.

As a virtual hub for over 250 virtual clinics and more than 20,000 patients since its launch last November, one of the benefits of joining EMBER is having  immediate access to their vast, experienced network of physicians. Specialists, who include paediatricians, cardiologists, dentists, OBGYNs, psychiatrists and more, are available at any time to provide on-demand care.  Limiting our contact with the outside world is of the utmost importance at this time, but it doesn’t mean we should let our mental and physical health suffer. Services like EMBER remind us that our health is our most important asset and that technology can help us through the most trying times.

EMBER’s virtual clinics are also open for business for patients across the MENA region as they expand their services to meet the demand of the COVID-19 outbreak which knows no borders. EMBER’s experts will also provide an online triage service (a medical term which describes a process of assessing urgency) that will analyse COVID-19 symptoms and guide suspected patients to the appropriate next step.

“While telehealth is now more vital than ever, it is not a temporary solution,” says Shadi Wahba, CEO of EMBER. “The widespread adoption of and enthusiasm for telehealth reflects a critical and lasting change in the global healthcare system. We are pleased to see it take root so quickly in Egypt.”

EMBER is available on iOS and Android. Find out more here.