It ends up that time and money are limited commodities everywhere. As news of a mental health presence at Mbingo has grown, we are getting referrals from all over Cameroon (not a lot yet, but growing). One of the frustrating things about this is that people will travel 10-12 hours, at significant cost, to come and see us thinking that we can "fix" a problem in one visit. Overall people are willing to come back for follow up, but it is physically, financially, and spiritually taxing. In some cases telephone follow-up is an option, but that can be expensive too, especially for the caller. Beyond that, even here I am not wild about giving out my cell phone number to patients.
I was talking with Josh, the missionary IT guru, about the possibility (at least logistically) of trying to set up remote tele-psychiatry stations at hospitals and clinics around Cameroon. The Cameroon Baptist Convention, under whose auspices Mbingo operates, has health centers and hospitals throughout the country, so in theory they may be open to trying the project. The challenges are reliable internet, cost of computers, and training local staff as to what tele-psychiatry is, and how to assist the patient after the visit is complete. Nonetheless, it seems like it would be a great way to either do initial consultations, or to have follow up visits without the cost of travelling so far.
I ask that y'all pray about this. Full disclosure: you may see me send out a "brother, can you spare a dime...or a lot of dimes...or a laptop" email should this look like a viable option. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment