Digital Lifelines: How Telemedicine Is Saving Lives in Rural Pakistan
It’s a blistering hot morning in the Thar Desert. A young mother, Aasia, sits on the floor of her mud house with her phone pressed to her ear. On the screen is a doctor, speaking gently in Urdu, guiding her through her daughter’s persistent fever. For Aasia, who lives over 100 kilometers from the nearest clinic, this voice on her phone is a lifeline. “I used to wait for the mobile clinic that only came once a month,” she says. “Now, I can talk to a doctor anytime. My daughter’s fever went down with the right medicine.” Across Pakistan’s rural regions, stories like Aasia’s are becoming more common. The rise of telemedicine —the remote delivery of healthcare through technology—is reshaping access to medical care for millions who live far from hospitals or health centers. As internet and mobile phone penetration grow, even in hard-to-reach areas, so does the hope of timely medical help. A Growing Need, A Timely Solution In a country where over 60% of the population lives in rural areas , ...