This observation was made at the 4th Nigerian conference on Telemedicine and e-Health in Gombe, where it was noted that telemedicine and e-health is essential to the improvement of quality and accessible healthcare delivery in the country.
The need for aggressive advocacy to telecommunications operators to support Telemedicine and e-Health initiatives was noted, just as the need for National Space Research Development Agency to put a national telemedicine policy was emphasized.
In order for the initiative to succeed, a National e-Health committee comprising of stakeholders like the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Communications, National Communications Commission, National Information Technology Development Agency, National Primary Health Care development Agency, National Space Research and Development Agency among others, participants insist must be constituted.
They charged the committee to as a matter of urgency, work out modalities for the development of a national strategy, policy and draft legislation required to successfully implement and sustain telemedicine and e-Health programmes in Nigeria.
As a way of encouraging the existing telemedicine programme and the development of new ones, particularly in the private sector, participants at the occasion have called on government to formulate policies that will create the enabling environment.
Given the increasing important role of telemedicine and e-health in contemporary healthcare delivery, it was suggested that the subject should be introduced in the curriculum of science schools and centres of excellence, where short course training on the initiative can be conducted, should be identified.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Vincent Ekhoragbon
Quelle/Source: AllAfrica, 19.09.2010
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