Title:
Quick diagnoses and better treatments in rural areas : teleradiology in Mali
Corporate author(s):
International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD)
Place:
The Hague
Publisher:
IICD
Year:
2008
PAGE:
4
Language:
eng
Subject:
Health and Nutrition
Keywords:
health
,
health services
,
information and communication technologies
Abstract:
Telemedicine is a relatively new development in the health sector whereby
modern communication technology enables doctors in rural areas to call in
the help of specialised doctors in larger, academic hospitals to give the
right diagnose and to decide upon the right course of treatment. In Mali,
IICD assisted SOMIM (Société Malienne d’Imagerie Médicale) with setting
up Internet connection between the hospital ‘Point G’ in Bamako and three
hospitals in the rural areas of Timbuktu, Mopti and Sikasso to experiment
with teleradiology. The Teleradiology project provides a solution for the
lack of trained radiologists in rural hospitals, by offering the possibility to
send or receive x-ray scans and diagnosis over the Internet. After a
difficult start doctors from three rural hospitals now use the technology.
The healthcare in rural areas has significantly improved as patients get a
quicker diagnosis and better medical treatment. The project has even
proved able to save people’s lives!
Organization:
IICD - International Institute for Communication and Development
Country:
Mali
Region:
Africa South of Sahara
,
West Africa
Category:
Practice
Right:
© 2008 IICD
Document type:
Report
File:
118793.pdf