The experts, who gathered at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan for a workshop titled ‘Telemedicine: Future and Challenges in Nigeria’, said telemedicine seeks to bridge the gap of access to good health between the rural and urban dwellers, describing it as ‘a confluence of communication technology, information technology, bio-medical engineering and medical science.
Telemedicine is a rapidly developing application of clinical medicine where medical information is transferred through the phone or the Internet.
The Director General of The National Space Research and Development Agency, Seidu Mohammed, in his welcome address, said his agency has packaged the programme to inform Nigerians about the sincere commitment of the federal government to “exploit space technology for enhancing the health and wellbeing of Nigerians through the implementation of a pilot scheme on the deployment of telemedicine in Nigeria.”
He also spoke of the potentials of the scheme to fit into the much publicised Millennium Development Goals (MDG), National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (NEEDS) programme and the nation’s aspiration to be among the first 20 most viable economies in the world by the year 2020.
The benefits
Reeling out its benefits, Mr. Mohammed noted that the project does not only reduce cost by connecting doctors from far distances at the shortest possible time, it also enhances remote accessibility, referral services for specialists, consultation services and remote patients monitoring.
The Minister of health, Babatunde Osotimehin, said telemedicine was a product of the government’s quest to apply information technology towards ensuring capacity building, exchange of information, access to and the delivery of sound healthcare services across the country.
Represented by a director in the ministry, the minister promised to create an enabling environment for the integration of e-health in the nation’s healthcare delivery.
In his remark, Alhassan Bako Zaku, minister for Science and Technology, disclosed that for its efficient use, the United Nations for Economic Commission for West Africa (UNECA) has awarded the Nigeria’s telemedicine the most innovative user of ICT to enhance healthcare delivery in Africa.
However, the World Health Organisation representative, Oluokun Soyinka, said the nation has more to achieve in the scheme. He said the government should make policies on the development of e-health, saying that could be more effective if it is done in partnership with the private sector.
Mr. Soyinka also said the nation can take the advantage of the spread of mobile phone services in Nigeria to improve its healthcare delivery.
---
Autor(en)/Author(s): Jide Jegede
Quelle/Source: NEXT, 26.02.2010
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
