Babylon to Digitally Transform Rwanda's Health Centers

LONDON, Dec. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Babylon will support the Government of Rwanda in their latest project to digitise their healthcare system by introducing digital tools, such as digitally enabled triage, to over-stretched government healthcare centers. These digital tools will help patients access the care they need faster while also reducing the burden on health centers. The project is being funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Like many countries around the world, Rwanda's healthcare system is overburdened. Health centers feel the brunt of this, with nurses in some health centers and health posts regularly seeing up to 50 patients a day each. Babylon has developed a series of digital tools to digitally-enable public health centers in Rwanda, through its Babyl Rwanda subsidiary. This technology will help triage patients and, where appropriate, connect them to clinicians via digital consultations. Digitising these health centers and giving suitable patients the option to connect with a Babyl doctor or nurse over the phone will reduce the demand on health center staff, meaning patients will see shorter queues and improved quality of care.

Babyl's Managing Director, Shivon Byamukama says:

"We believe that this technology will empower health centers and improve the way patients receive care. We are extremely excited to contribute to Rwanda's digital health agenda in partnership with the Government of Rwanda."

This technology will give patients the option to input their symptoms, determine the potential causes of the symptoms, and provide them with information to decide on the best next step. The triage tool uses AI technology which has been localised for Rwanda by accounting for local language and epidemiology. In a country with 15% smartphone penetration, introducing digital triage to health centers allows even those living in the more remote areas of the country to reap the benefits of this technology.

The use of this technology is completely optional to patients, and support workers will be trained to help patients with low literacy. For patients that require a physical consultation at the health center, triage will act as a prioritisation tool ensuring that patients deemed to have urgent needs get placed at the front of the queue. The patient's triage outcome generated through the tool can also be shared with health center clinicians making it easier for them to quickly access the information they need to treat the patient. Through this new system Babylon hopes to enable more effective use of scarce health resources, whilst also improving the quality of care for patients.

This is the second project that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has granted to Babylon to support Babyl's work with the Government of Rwanda. Today Babyl has over two million registered patients and completes over 3,000 consultations every day. After Babyl's recent signing of the 10-year contract with the Government of Rwanda, this digitisation of health centers is the next step for Babyl services in their mission to make healthcare affordable and accessible for the people of Rwanda.

Notes to Editor

About Babylon

Babylon is a globally-leading technology company with the ambitious mission to put an accessible and affordable health service in the hands of every person on Earth.

We combine technology and medical expertise to bring doctors and people closer together, with digital health tools designed to empower people with knowledge about their health. Through a range of digital health services – such as an AI-backed app and video doctor appointments – we provide around-the-clock access to affordable, holistic healthcare services and information. We work with governments, health providers and insurers across the globe, and healthcare facilities from small local practices to large hospitals.

With a $2B valuation, Babylon covers over 20 million patients and has done 8 million consultations and AI interactions globally. We have teamed up with 170 impactful worldwide partners and funders — including Mount Sinai Health Partners, the NHS, Telus Health, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Government of Rwanda — to fulfil our vision of accessible and affordable healthcare, for all. For more information, visit www.babylonhealth.com.

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