According to the Survey of Current Efforts and Potentials in Application of Telemedicine in Ethiopia, by Fikreyohannes Lemma, Solomon Atnafu, and Samuel Kinde Kassegne, the Ethiopian physician to population ratio is one of the lowest in the world, with 1 physician/health officer serving 25,958 people. Since most of the physicians are stationed in the urban areas the above ratio shows a large variation across the regions, which goes as low as 1 to 72,764 in some rural areas. Delivering proper health care to the rural areas, where more than 80% of the population is living, has been a challenging task.
The major MAI farm operations are located near the village of Beltu in the Bale region and approximately 250 kilometers from the Somali Border.
Beltu First Aid Station
From the time the farm was being built, the MAI First Aid Station has been providing medical advice, help, limited diagnosis, first aid, emergency treatment, and transportation to the Ginir Hospital six hours away over very rough roads. The nurses there are the first line of diagnosis for the following: colds, stomach problems, pregnancy issues, accidents, cuts, punctures, and bullet wounds, to mention but a few. The MAI First Aid Station employs four to six nurses and sees 200 to 300 patients a month.