Telemedicine services may be extended to prisons

[Naveed Yaseen]

MNA pledges support for creation of Telemedicine Training School at HFH

Friday, October 16, 2009
Our correspondent

Rawalpindi

Impressed by the achievements of the Telemedicine and e-Health Training Centre, through which the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) has, in the past one year, enabled 2,911 patients in the rural areas to seek consultation, advice and treatment from specialist doctors in urban centre hospitals, MNA Hanif Abbasi Wednesday pledged support for the establishment of a Telemedicine School at HFH, and recommended that a proposal be prepared for extension of Telemedicine services to prisons in Rawalpindi division.

Speaking at a ceremony organised by the Telemedicine and e-Health Training Centre of Surgical Unit II, HFH, to celebrate the completion of one year of provision of Telemedicine services, the MNA promised to extend all possible support to the Telemedicine Centre.

“I see a tremendous opportunity in utilizing technology for improving healthcare delivery and obtaining efficient utilization of existing resources,” Abbasi stated, hoping that the plausible initiative would be promoted at a national level.

The event was attended by Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) Principal Professor M. Mussadiq Khan and Jawad Baig of the Electronic Government Directorate as guests of honour. Dr. Abid Shah, medical superintendent of the HFH, MNA Attock Sheikh Aftab Ahmad, Chairman Standing Committee for Defence, District Health Officer Dr. Sultan and Executive Officer Health Dr. Mussarsat Abdullah attended the ceremony through video link.

The Ministry of Information Technology, through the Electronic Government Directorate, has established satellite-based network of 12 telemedicine centres all over Pakistan. Holy Family Hospital Hub is linked through satellite with DHQ Hospitals in Attock, Khushab, Gujrat, and THQ Hospital, Pindigheb. Rural Telemedicine Centres have enabled rural population to seek consultation, advice and treatment from specialist doctors in urban centre hospitals.

The gathering was informed that 2,911 patients have thus far been provided consultations from specialists ranging from surgery, urology, neurosurgery, ENT, dermatology, obstetrics, gynaecology and cardiology. The Telemedicine and e-Health Training Centre at HFH is a designated facility for e-Health training and specialist tele-consultations to remote rural sites in Punjab and Sindh. This Centre has trained over 100 doctors and nurses from various institutions all over Pakistan in Telemedicine applications. Having completed their training, they are now actively using telemedicine to strengthen healthcare delivery in their own institutions.

In addition to hospitals in Attock, Khushab, Gujrat and Pindigheb, the Centre is providing specialist consultations to eight other sites in Punjab and rural Sindh. Rural telemedicine centers have enabled rural population to seek consultation, advice and treatment from specialist doctors in urban hospitals without having to travel hundreds of kilometers and spending their meager financial resources on related transportation and accommodation.

The initiative of utilizing ICT for transformation of the delivery of public services by making such services more effective, inclusive, efficient and available at the doorsteps of the common man is the need of the time. All the above-mentioned sites are equipped with video conferencing equipment, and peripheral devices including digital ECG, auto scope, digital stethoscope and document camera. These centres are connected with each other and with the hub through satellite connectivity.

The facilities at DHQ Attock have been further enhanced, making it possible to move large amount of data more efficiently and promptly between Attock and Holy Family Hospital during clinics.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Asif Zafar Malik, project director of Telemedicine Centre and focal person of MOIT for the Rural Support Programme, gave a detailed presentation on the project. He informed that the ENT Department of HFH provided maximum consultations in the last one year, followed by the Dermatology Department of Benazir Bhutto Hospital. Recently, Tele Radiology has been added. “The US State Department has enabled DHQ Hospital Attock to seek specialist consultations from experienced radiologists in HFH. This will also save enormous amount of money being spent on X-ray films and will enable DHQ Attock to maintain records of all these x Rays,” he informed.

Dr. Asif defined Telemedicine as “medicine at a distance.” It is more narrowly defined as the integration of telecommunications, information, human-machine interface, and medical-care technologies for the purpose of enhancing the delivery of healthcare. People living in remote or rural environments have limited access to basic healthcare. Geographic isolation, scarcity of physicians and clinics, and the difficulty of travel to larger cities where such care is available are among the factors limiting this access.

Professor Mussadiq appreciated the work done by the Telemedicine Centre and offered RMC staff’s participation in continuing this initiative and including e-Health in the under-graduate teaching curriculum.

The event was followed by live demonstrations of all the Telemedicine equipment and methodology of Teleconsultations. All the guests visited the Telemedicine Training Centre and video conferencing rooms in Surgical Unit II and outpatient department.

Earlier, the chief guest distributed certificates of appreciation amongst staff of the Centre and specialists of HFH.

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