MDNet provides free mobile telephone service to GMA registered physicians in the form of a SIM card which is lined to telephone numbers within the mobile network. The SIM cards work with any brand of phone and allow doctors to make voice calls free of charge, as long as they are contacting other colleagues within the MDNet program.
MDNet facilitates emergency response communications between doctors on a cellular network. This service provides doctors rapid, unlimited access to peer advcce over the phone, letting practitioners use their mobile phone continuously during emergency situations, without concerns about the number of minutes still available on the phone's account.
To ease the referral process, GMA and Switchboard will soon launch the first Ghana doctor directory, using information collected through GMA. The directory will include a physician's MDNet telephone number, hospital, and region where s/he practises, organized by both last name and medical specialty.
District and rural medical practitioners report that they are increasingly reaching out to more experienced colleagues for advice on the management of complex medical cases and use MDNet to solicit information regarding specialists, bed availability, and clinic times, facilitating the referral of patients to higher levels of care.