At least 24 villages in the Kara region are expected to benefit from a new health initiative spearheaded by electronics giant, Samsung, the Togo Ministry of Health and Vision Togo. The Samsung Mobile Health Clinic is a facility mounted onto a truck and is fully equipped to assist community members in the prevention and diagnosis of medical conditions. The truck will move between Lome and Kara in an eight week rotation to ensure maximum outreach.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Togo’s Minister of Health, Prof. Moustafa Mijiyawa, says: “We wish to cultivate a culture of proactive healthcare in Togo. The Samsung Mobile Health Clinic supports our mission in championing a healthy nation with our people – to live well, live long and with peace of mind.”
Sir Paul Judge, founder of Vision Togo says: “We are encouraged by this partnership as it supports our goal to reduce inequalities in Togo. We forsee so many communities benefitting from these medical services and the Samsung Mobile Health Clinic is best placed to help us do this. We hope to roll out more clinics in other regions in the future. The mobile clinic will enable last mile health interventions as well as real time data gathering which is essential to improving overall access to healthcare in Togo.”
A large focus will be placed on screening people to establish conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, tooth decay and cataracts. The mobile clinic will also be used to educate the communities about health issues and encouraging people to take tests as a preventative measure.
The Chief of Kpagouda, a village elder, says that the arrival of the mobile clinic in the village will contribute a lot to the reduction of tropical diseases and above all help improve efficiency in the local health system. “It will also empower women, since the clinic arrives direct to the village and they do not need to raise money to travel far to a health facility. It is a great honour for our village to be selected on the route of the mobile clinic.”
Mr. Lee Changwook, managing director for Samsung Electronics West Africa says: “Delivering effective healthcare in the continent usually means doing things differently. The Samsung Mobile Health Clinic is designed for use in remote rural areas, and intended to eliminate the economic and geographical barriers that prevent people from obtaining free quality medical attention.”
“We continuously strive to make a positive change in people’s lives through our technology and expertise and help the United Nations in tackling the SDGs in Africa to achieve the agreed targets. We are confident the mobile clinic will bring positive change to the lives of people in Togo,” he adds.
