Telemedicine in Africa: A Firsthand Experience

This summer, I got to experience telemedicine as a patient in a way I didn’t expect. While “competing”… okay, riding in the Migration Gravel Race in Kenya, I needed remote medical care in the Maasai Mara Nature Reserve. I benefitted from a specialty consult in the U.S.

On the first stage, while pushing on a downhill section, my front tire hit wet grass on a curve, and I crashed hard. My left elbow took the brunt of the fall, slamming into a rock. I felt that familiar shockwave go through my body from a hard fall. But I was more concerned with not missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime race. I was more interested in remounting my bike than taking stock of my elbow.

About an hour later, as I was riding and hiking my bike through the “peanut butter mud,” I noticed my left glove was squishy with something red. I figured it was time to take a quick look at my elbow and decided quickly not to look a second time. I had been losing blood, although it wasn’t gushing. I wanted and needed to keep going to connect with a Land Rover ambulance that could bandage me up.

I got connected with a trauma surgeon, who took great care of me, washing out the wound with several liters of saline topped off with a betadine washout. He tied off a bleeding vessel and sutured me up loosely enough to allow the wound to drain. Even though the surgeon was world-class (he trained in Johannesburg), I still wanted to get a second opinion from a sports medicine and orthopedic surgeon colleague.

Using Starlink, I sent them photos of the injury, and we had a quick telephone consult to discuss managing the wound to avoid infection and compartment syndrome. Having access to expert advice in a remote part of the world meant everything to my confidence. This wasn’t about using telemedicine because it’s convenient; it was about getting the proper care at the right time when it really mattered. The ability to get a second opinion across the globe gave me confidence that we were managing the injury properly.

My adventure in Africa reinforced for me how telemedicine can deliver. Whether at home or traveling abroad, personalized medical care is never out of reach. Call me if you need me. That’s the level of care I would want for a family member and what I want to deliver for you—a patient-physician relationship built on trust and accessibility. You should always feel secure in your medical care, wherever life takes you.