Establishment of Tele-Health Services

COMSATS Internet Service (CIS) - Role in Tele Health in Pakistan

Introduction to COMSATS Tele-Health Program:

COMSATS Tele-Health program is a mode of delivering primary health care using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to render the services of medical consultation, diagnosis and treatment to patients living in different geographically scattered areas. Tele-Health service is especially beneficial for communities and populations living in hard to reach areas due to the terrain constraints and also lack of communication infrastructure. Through Tele-Health setup, patients at basic health units (BHUs) can get specialist medical opinion from doctors at secondary/tertiary health care units. Tele-Health is the key to optimize use of available resources through adoption of Information Communication Technology. Services of doctors based at one place in an urban centre can be utilized live for examining and rendering advice to patients sitting far away in other remote areas, towns & villages. It can overcome the problem of scarcity of doctors as a paramedic/LHV supported by a data entry operator can run Tele-Health unit under the guidance of a doctor sitting at the resource centre located in an urban site.

Importance of Tele-Health:

Tele-Health is an emerging technology solution for the delivery of health services like medical consultation, diagnosis and treatment of patients and is especially beneficial for marginalized communities living in far flung and mountainous areas in Pakistan. The technology can be adopted by optimizing use of available resources and adoption of information communication technology and CIS has the required experience and technical expertise to deploy Tele-Health facility in any part of the country.

How it works:

Objectives:

1. To extend primary health services using technology to the people in remote and difficult terrains, covering the areas of Gynaecology, Dermatology, Paediatrics and General ailments.
2. To provide economical & convenient healthcare to the common people.
3. Training of doctors, paramedics and IT personnel.
4. Maintain database of patients visiting clinics at CIS Tele-Health centre Islamabad. The database can be used for monitoring, diagnostics, noting trends and research.
5. To establish complete ecosystem of Tele-Health through tech-enabled clinics.

Project benefits:

1. Tele-Health (tech-enabled) clinics have significant outreach; are innovative, economical, reliable and their data has multiple utility.
2. Primary healthcare accessibility to the people living in rural, mountainous and remote areas.
3. People get the medical service virtually at their doorstep, thereby saving them unbearable expenditure incurred on travels across cities, boarding & lodging and time for appointments.
4. It provides awareness regarding the benefits of technologies and the exposure increases their knowledge.
5. Diagnostic information and investigation will be helpful to know the trend of diseases and take timely precautionary measures.
6. Employability of locals as paramedics.
7. Leaves no space for quackery.

Clinical Requirement at each BHU:

1. Two adequately furnished rooms (14′ × 16′), one for Tele-Health setup and the other for patient registration and waiting.
2. A couple of dedicated LHVs and other paramedic staff (Aya, Midwife), capable of using computer, data entry and to attend the patients for smooth operation of Tele-Health services.
3. The availability of ICT infrastructure, including PTCL and cellular services, for internet connectivity to run Tele-Health. If no ICT services are available at the designated site, satellite internet will be used as an alternative.

Technical Equipment & Requirements for one clinic:

• Digital Stethoscope
• Vital Signs Monitor
• Ultrasonography
• Multipurpose Examination Unit covering General, Derma & ENT examination
• VC equipment
• Desktop computers
• LED
• Printer
• Scanner
• UPS / Solar system
• Patient management software
• Dedicated software

Responsibilities of Respective Health Department:

• To arrange two furnished rooms at each HF, with necessary furniture.
• To arrange dedicated staff at each HF for the smooth operation of Tele-Health.
• To provide necessary utilities including electricity with backup generator, air conditioning, water & space for installation of satellite device, wherever required.
• To provide medicine and necessary testing kits (CBC, sugar, pregnancy test etc.).

Responsibilities of COMSATS:

• To procure and install necessary Tele-Health, IT and other accessories required for the installation and connectivity of equipment. The designated BHUs and COMSATS Resource Centre, to be setup in Islamabad.
• To design and improve ICT infrastructure for the proper Internet bandwidth including PTCL, cellular or satellite link for conducting quality video conferencing.
• To train paramedic, LHV and other staff to operate Tele-Health smoothly.
• To provide maintenance services of the network and ICT equipment.

Note: A separate agreement outlining the detailed points will be signed.