Lack of access to healthcare represents a big problem in many rural areas in South Africa. This problem is amplified when there is a need for a medical specialist; often the closest public clinic is too far, too crowded or it may not have the specialist needed for specific advice. Usually, in these cases, lengthy and inefficient communications start between primary health workers in rural areas and specialists in the urban areas, with the specialists often required to travel to see patients – a process that costs valuable consulting hours within a system that cannot afford to lose them.

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