How to get medical help using your phone during the lockdown

Coronavirus has made it difficult for people to easily access different medical services especially in light of the lockdown which is in place to curb the spread of the virus.

In light of such difficulty, GOGP+ is here to help. The app puts you in direct contact with a doctor via video call, text, and images.

The app is beefed with a number of different medical personnel in different fields to help you receive affordable and good quality health care from the comfort of your home.

"Technology is an enabler, it makes life easier, efficient, and convenient. One of those enablers in the medical world is telemedicine.  Telemedicine involves the use of electronic communication and software to provide clinical services to patients remotely without making a physical visit to the hospital," Paul Mwebesa the Chief Operations Officer said.

GOGP+ is now in Uganda, as a Telemedicine application which by video to video chat remotely connects those in need of medical assistance with qualified doctors, in a trusted, reliable, and secure environment.

Patients and doctors can communicate via video and text chat, with the ability to upload documents, such as lab results, photos, etc. The GoGP+ App also enables Doctors to review historic consultations, prescriptions, and lab results to maintain consistency of the patient’s diagnosis and treatment.

GoGP+’s mission is to provide Healthcare for the Masses, by providing accessible and affordable health services in the hands of every person with a mobile phone. Special emphasis is on the disadvantaged and rural communities.

The app is available on the play store and app store, download the app.

One of the challenges facing the health sector is the shortage of doctors coupled with their uneven distribution. Most of the doctors especially the specialists are based in Kampala, which is miles away from most Ugandans. GoGP+ bridges the geographic gap by linking patients to doctors at the comfort of the homes, without having to move distances to access a doctor.

People now have access to affordable, convenient, fast, qualified non-emergency healthcare without having to spend on travel or be absent from their families. The service can be accessed from home, refugee camps, and other remote locations 24 hours a day.

The App is essential during the Covid-19 pandemic, people will need medical consultations while observing social distancing measures. The GoGP+ App plays a vital role in providing remote health care and combating the coronavirus. Patients who present with the COVID- 19 symptoms can have fast access to a doctor by video consultation wherein they will be advised on what to do.

In addition, patients with other ailments will have fast video access to a doctor while avoiding the need to visit the hospital. They will, therefore, avoid the risk of interacting with people who are possibly infected as well as decongesting the hospitals to allow for the critical to be taken care of.

GoGP+ is revolutionary, it will enable the provision of the much-needed healthcare to Ugandans and make doctors more accessible, fast, and conveniently especially for those that are far away from the City.

How does one use the app?

There are basically 5 steps one will go through the consult a doctor:

Firstly, one has to download the app from the app store or google play store.

Then sign up by registering and log in using your email and password. User accounts are protected by email address and password.

Select the option of doctor you need to consult with i.e. General Practitioner or a consultant/specialist. We have a dropdown menu with a number of specialists.

Pay via MTN mobile money, Airtel money, or visa card. The cost for consulting a General Practitioner is 15,000/= and a consultant is 30,000/=.

Finally, connect and with your doctor via video and text chat. The doctor may request a lab test, if required a lab request will be sent via the user’s registered email. Both the Doctor and Patient have the ability to upload documents and images for both to view. The text transcript is available during future consultations for consulting doctors to review. After the consultation with the doctor is closed, a report with a prescription is immediately sent to the patient’s email.

At the patient’s request, the prescribed medicine can be sent to your location from our partner pharmacies.

All records will go to your personal medical file and can be accessed by you anytime.