Tiny Call Center Provides Health Services to 200,000 People

BALAKA, Malawi — Doreen Namasala presses talk on her neon pink desktop phone to answer the latest call to the VillageReach health hotline. Speaking in Chichewa, the hotline worker asks the caller for her name, whether she is pregnant, when she is due and what symptoms she's experiencing. With the help of a custom software program and spiral-bound manual, Namasala will recommend a plan of action — perhaps getting rest or visiting a medical professional — after a few minutes on the phone.

"The callers are living in areas where transportation is difficult for them, like a pregnant woman walks for five kilometers to go to the health center, so we advise them to avoid overworking," Namasala says between answering calls Read more...