Increasing Access to Emergency Health Care through Mobile Technology
Mobilizing Health uses an SMS platform to connect villagers to licensed practitioners in the developing world.  Through this simple and cost-effective design, those who could not gain access to affordable healthcare would have the opportunity to obtain it. 

 Last July, we piloted with 8,000+ villagers in Rajasthan, India and connected 64 patients, preventing potential life-threatening situations that would have otherwise gone without care.

Need:On average, a villager in northwest India makes approximately $0.80 per day. However, to visit a nurse can cost $1.00. Although these villages have government subsidized public health centers, they are only open during work hours – hours that most villagers cannot afford to miss. While there are free government hospitals in the major cities, transportation costs $6.00 on average.

Need: Case Study: During our pilot we met with Keshu, a 12 year old village boy who burned his arm 8 years ago. His family could not afford to treat him, resulting in cancer and gangrene that spread throughout his entire arm. If Mobilizing Health’s program was set in place at the time, his wound would have been treated with Ovidine (a burn ointment that we provide) and transported to a hospital for free. Instead, he needed a $425 donation surgery. Luckily for Keshu, he was able to get the donation in time. Most are not as fortunate.

How it Works?A sick or injured patient contacts our village volunteer who has a mobile phone. The volunteer then sends an SMS to a laptop, manned by a physician in the hospital. The physician sends a response, advising first aid and any immediate action that needs to take place. For severe problems, the physician dispatches an ambulance to transport the patient to the hospital, where they are treated free of charge.

Sustainability & Scalability:

• Minimal Cost: SMS cost less than $0.02 each and lowers future medical costs for villagers.
• Minimal Time: Doctor takes only a minute to reply, leaving them free to their daily routine.
• Training: Professional health worker not needed, allowing any literate villager to be trained.
• Accessibility: Cell phone use and coverage is wide-spread in villages.

Local NGO Control: We are working with and training a local Non-Governmental Organization, aimed at providing free medical care for the poor, who will provide facilities and doctors. After full implementation, the NGO will acquire the program and use its for-profit division to sustain and manage the program.

Goal for 2010: Expand Access to 50,000+ Villagers in Northwest India