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Mobiles in Malawi - SMS for Patient Care, in its truest form

Alex Ngalande a one-man, mobile care unit

I sat down with Alex Ngalande to discuss the FrontlineSMS and its impact on the Home-Based Care (HBC) program at St. Gabriel's. Essentially, he's a one-man, mobile care unit, focusing on chronically ill patients and those who simply cannot travel to the hospital. The backpack behind him is full of medical supplies.

The SMS network has brought Alex to the homes of 130 patients who would not have otherwise received care. That's about five responses, per week, to requests for remote medical attention.

Before the SMS program, Alex was visiting around thirty patients a week, rotating through the HBC roster. He now follows up on five patients per week, usually checking in on those who have been recently discharged from the hospital. The CHWs take care of the rest; since the program started, approximately 520 HBC patient updates have reached the hospital via SMS.

The difference in Alex's HBC activities amounts to about 500 hours and over $1,000 in fuel saved. He has responded to ~40 requests for healthcare supplies (usually dressing materials for wounds and cervical cancer patients). With FrontlineSMS blasting automated responses to drug inquiries and Alex responding to questions regarding basic care, the central SMS hub truly serves the CHWs and their patients.

Alex, who is a highly capable nurse, also holds full shifts in the male ward at the hospital, and is one of two staff members coordinating antiretroviral treatment (ART) for the catchment area. His multitude of responsibilities make time saved in managing the Home-Based Care program extremely valuable.