An IOT- based platform for linking rural health centers

Abstract

Health care services in Uganda have for a long time been unfairly distributed between the rural and urban areas. Rural residents face a number of challenges such as shortage of skilled medical doctors, drug shortages, poor infrastructure and lack of enough medical equipment. In order to bring such services closer to the people, a communication channel needs to be set up to enable sharing of resources between the health centers in shortage with those hospitals who have such privileges. Currently, traditional medical testing kits like thermometers, pulse oximeters, glucometers and blood pressure machines among other devices are used to measure different patients’ vitals. This information is later recorded in a book while there is no doctor to offer medical treatment to the ailing patient. With this project, the patients’ information was successfully sent wirelessly over a distance to a main hospital (with available doctors) and also uploaded onto a web application for viewing by the doctor. The doctor can then call the health center with the incoming set of patients’ data and advise them accordingly. The key outcomes for the project include real-time communication between the two health facilities, an accessible web application that a doctor can use for viewing data and a solar PV system which is used to power the circuitry. The IOT infrastructure designed will reduce on the number of hospital delays, admission rates and the burden put on the attending health personnel by the long ques of patients waiting for treatment.