SUSTAINABLE TELEMEDICINE SOLUTION FOR PAKISTAN

First Sustainable Telemedicine Solution for Pakistan

Dear readers, it gives us an immense pleasure and pride to write a few words on how we as a team of Sybrid (Managed Services Company), Pragmedic Solutions (Health Care Applications Providers, Cybernet (Internet Service Provider) and Abrar ul Hassan (Social Media Enterpreneaur) are contributing to the Flood Victim of Pakistan.

Together we (Sybrid + Pragmedic + Cybernet) are implementing our first Telemedicine Solution for Pakistan. We did a successful test project in the District of Khairpur. The project was conceived on Saturday 21st August, 2010 and after passing Quality Assurance on Wednesday 25th August, 2010, the test was conducted on 27th and 28th of August, 2010 in the Khairpur District, Sindh.

We were located at Faiz Secondary School in Kotdigi, District Khairpur where the government has allowed some 500+ IDPs to be stationed. Most of them were women and children. The team of Physicians and Paramedics provided health care to 167 patients -- day 1 and 349 Patients on day two.

The solution provided local general physicians (GP) along with paramedical staff located on site and the specialized Physicians including Dermatology, Pediatrics, Gynecology and Psychiatry located in Karachi to be connected through Telemedicine. . The health care providers shared patient and medical information by using Electronic Medical Record, and placed orders like prescription by using e-prescription modules of the application through the means of Internet.

The remote internet connectivity was provided by Cybernet through Satellite. All the on ground managed services including logistics, medicines, finance and management were given by Sybrid. Finally Pragmedic Solutions were responsible for providing the health care applications including electronic health record and electronic medical record solution. Through the assistance of local NGO, "Khairpur heritage and welfare" announcement were also made to the nearby IDP camps and pick up services through Ambulances were provided to the Patients of these camps to be seen by Health Care Providers at the school premises.

The challenges faced on day 1 like connecting the satellite device and managing the variation of Drug Inventory was managed appropriately in short period of time. After which the project went well and the Telemedicine clinic was conducted both the days.

A total of 516 patients were provided health care in these two days out of which 104 required urgent care. The case mixes were: 51% Dermatology, 28% Gastroenterology and 21% others. Medicines were given out to all the patients.

Follow up on the high risk patients will be provided through the assistance of local GP to whom patient information which was given on paper, through print outs from the EMR. Some of the patients were also transferred to the close by hospital with the assistance of District Coordination Officer (DCO).

Our next step is to re-adjust the planning, improvise patient care processes and present information to the donor for funding to create a sustainable base.

We would again like to thank the Cybernet, Sybrid, Pragmedic teams and Abrar Ul Hassan for making this homegrown Telemedicine project take off, the model has worked, we need to mature it and create sustenance.

abrarulhassan.blogspot.com

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