Telemedicine is the use of virtual space to provide
much-needed healthcare services to consumers,
with the potential to revolutionize the delivery of
healthcare. As the number of challenges facing
Somalia continues to grow including the prolonged
war, natural disasters, and migration of skilled
healthcare professionals, the federal government
may be overwhelmed and unable to provide
sufficient basic healthcare to its citizens. This review
was undertaken to highlight the current state of
healthcare services delivery, the benefits of
telemedicine, its potential to address the currently
strained healthcare services, and the challenges
Bashiru Garba et al. PAMJ - 49(100). 29 Nov 2024. - Page numbers not for citation purposes. 2
that may hamper its adoption in Somalia. The
review results show that the introduction of
telemedicine into Somalia's healthcare will go a
long way in supporting the efforts of the
government to significantly improve the quality of
healthcare by increasing accessibility and efficiency.
The review also identified potential challenges that
may hamper the adoption of this technology
including policy barriers, hospital facility and
information technology infrastructure, lack of
trained healthcare workers as well as lack of
awareness among the public on the benefits of
telemedicine. Hence, given the current
humanitarian situation facing the country and the
determination to provide quality healthcare
services at an affordable rate to its citizens,
policymakers should view telemedicine as an
attractive alternative to achieve these targets.