More Jamaicans, including senior citizens, are seeing doctors online for diagnosis and treatment during the COVID-19 crisis. That’s according to Dr Che Bowen, CEO of MDLink, a telemedicine company operating on the island.

Speaking during an online forum discussing the future of Jamaica’s economy after the pandemic, Dr Bowen said he expects telemedicine to become a part of disaster preparedness in the future.

Telemedicine provides online instant access to a physician. “A patient can safely stay at home, be seen by a doctor, diagnosed and be treated online,” Dr Bowen explained.

Launched in Jamaica in 2018, the mission of MDLink, Dr Bowen said, is to provide access to affordable health care. He said the Centres for Disease Control and Treatment (CDC) in the United States has recommended that telemedicine be used as a solution for “flattening the curve” in in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bowen however noted that the state of the country’s telecommunications infrastructure could hinder the growth of the tele-health industry.

“They (telecommunications providers) have been put under extreme pressure with the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone is streaming and the bandwidth is being pushed to the max. They are struggling to keep everyone connected but they need to rise to the occasion”, he said.

It’s not only young persons who are accessing his company’s services online, Dr Bowen said.

http://www.loopjamaica.com/content/more-jamaicans-seeing-doctors-online-during-pandemic