Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo has kicked-off the commencement of Tele-Medicine Hub to address the healthcare needs of Anambra people particularly those resident in hard-to-reach areas of the state.
Located at Comprehensive Medical Centre, Awkuzu in Oyi council area of the state, the State Government is using this Tele-medicine Hub in Awkuzu as a case study to connect 10 other health centres in different communities from where it will spread to 179 communities in the state, when the pilot scheme had succeeded.
Performing the function today, Prof Soludo said Google Hub is now resident in hard-to-reach 10 communities in the state and urged other communities to emulate Awkuzu for building a befitting health centre which attracted his administration to experiment the tele-medicine.
He described Tele-medicine as the use of telecommunication gadgets to remotely consult, diagnose and treat patients irrespective of their locations 24 hours a day.
Governor Soludo maintained that the new initiative will fill the gap created by the rate of brain drain in the country to improve and increase access to healthcare delivery in the state.
On his part, Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike announced that the concept of Tele-medicine is the first in West Africa and Nigeria, adding that the technology would be beneficial to residents with the aid of google diagnostics to consult with doctors anywhere in the world.
“It is the use of technology to do things particularly as pertains to brain drain in the country in term of lack of human resources to take care of health needs of the people.
“Tele-medicine is of three significance to the people of Anambra state: First, the diagnostic Google, when worn, can aid the doctor to attend to a woman at Enugwu-Otu primary healthcare centre which is a hard-to-reach area. This came about through a data that women die because of inability to reach a healthcare centre. This has tackled that threat because a doctor will be here manning ten primary healthcare centres.
“Secondly, you will have access to a doctor on call 24/7. Third, is the conventional Tele-medicine where you can have a second opinion of a consultant anywhere in the world. It’s like 3-in-1. Like the Governor said we are piloting this first in Nigeria. As it’s working, we will scale it up”, the Health Commissioner averred.
On the issue of epileptic power supply that may pose a threat to the new facility, Dr Obidike said “we have solar here and so long as you are using smartphone, you will get access to that; irrespective of any challenge being encountered.