The Aga Khan Development Network eHealth Resource Centre, based at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan conducted a successful test of teleconsultation links between Khorog General Hospital, Khorog, Tajikistan and French Medical Institute for Children, Kabul, Afghanistan as well as the central facility in Karachi.
The setting up of the Khorog link is part of Aga Khan Development Network’s (AKDN) efforts to expand its network of eHealth resources in Central Asia and was conducted with the collaboration of the Aga Khan Health Services, Tajikistan (AKHS, Tajikistan).
In preparation for this setup, a short training, “Telemedicine and mHealth: Concepts, Technology and Planning” was conducted at Khorog on May 16 and 17, 2012. The training was inaugurated by Dr Saidbek Davlatbekov, Director of Health, Gorno Badakshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), Tajikistan, and was attended by participants from the Ministry of Health, Khorog General Hospital, telecommunication companies and AKHS, Tajikistan.
The training focused on using telemedicine and mHealth to address the gaps in health systems and services, selection of different types of technologies and evaluation and application of programmes in Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
“There is a need for online consultations to bridge gaps in health service delivery and provide quality health care to those in need. This training has enlightened us for newer ways to provide quality health care services to our community,” said Dr Pista Gadomamadova, Department of Health, Tajikistan.
There are plans to link a limited number of district-level health facilities in the cross-border region of Gorno Badakshan in Tajikistan and Badakshan in Afghanistan. Regular teleconsultations in the fields of surgery, paediatrics, cardiology and dermatology will begin in July 2012 followed by teleconsulations in pathology and radiology in August, 2012.
