Telemedicine Center: Improving Access to Care & Training

Cancer patients in rural Kenya now have improved access to medical professionals thanks to the new Telemedicine and Telepathology Center at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.  The Center was completed in July and became operational shortly thereafter, with its official grand opening occurring in August.  The multi-room Center, made possible by a grant from the Pfizer Foundation, houses state of the art equipment intended to connect rural clinics to the primary clinic in Eldoret.  

The Center, currently focused on breast and cervical cancer patients, is expected to break the barriers patients face to quality care.  This means, for example, that a woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer will be able to receive care from one of Kenya’s few fully-trained oncology professionals despite her lack of access to transportation.

In addition to improving access to care for cancer patients, the Telemedicine and Telepathology Center also exists as a means for North American and Consortium specialists to conduct lectures and oncology courses to train Kenyan faculty and staff to better diagnose and treat patients. Since its creation, the Center has already held several virtual tumor boards and virtual lectures.