The Development of Urgent Care Telemedicine in Pakistan

The disparity in healthcare access between urban and rural areas in Pakistan persists despite efforts to address it. With only 3.6 physicians per 10,000 people in rural regions compared to 14.5 in urban areas, coupled with challenges like violence against healthcare workers and inadequate infrastructure, rural communities face significant obstacles in receiving timely and quality care. To bridge this gap, Health Tech Without Borders (HTWB) developed a telemedicine curriculum aimed at training physicians in urgent care practices, particularly targeting those lacking emergency medicine expertise. Collaborating with Oladoc, a local telemedicine company, a curriculum was distributed to urban providers with plans to expand into rural settings. Initial enrollment and feedback underscore the potential of standardized telemedicine education in addressing rural healthcare challenges. Looking ahead, HTWB remains dedicated to advancing equitable healthcare access in Pakistan.