Seminar on Telehealth Concludes emphasizing that Healthcare Issues of the Deprived Segments of the Society can be Better Served

The Seminar on ‘Telehealth’ concluded with a pledge to form a network of people from various spheres of health profession to promote Telehealth and serve the deprived segments of the population. This one-day event was organized by the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) on 21st August, 2007 to highlight the importance of Telehealth in Pakistan and to bring forward and share the experiences and expertise of health professionals.

The Seminar was participated by a decent gathering of medical personnel, social and healthcare researchers, economists, technologists, I.T based organizations and government-sector officials. During Introductory Session, Dr. Hameed Ahmed Khan, the Executive Director – COMSATS, delivered his welcome address. He underscored the need for a vibrant network of health professional for broadening and strengthening the scope of Telehealth in Pakistan. He also emphasized for joint collaboration for effective availability of health care services. Dr. Hans Frey, the representative of Baltistan Health & Education Foundation (BHEF) also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the objectives of the seminar.

During the technical sessions of the Seminar, the speakers discussed Telehealth as an innovative technique for delivering healthcare services. Distinguished speakers and subject experts shed light on the topics including Information and Communication Technologies used in the Telehealth process, Telehealth Experiences and opportunities in Pakistan and means for social networking for better healthcare delivery. A live consultation session was also held wherein a Medical Specialist examined a patient from Skardu while sitting in Islamabad using IT tools. Discussions were appreciated on recent development in communication systems such as wireless technology and satellite transmission to make it possible to devise cost effective mechanisms which are best suitable for Telehealth activities in a given setting. They all highlighted and accentuated the role of Telehealth to cope with the scarcity of medical specialists and improve the delivery of healthcare services.

There were four (4) technical sessions in all and thirteen (13) presentations were made during the course of the day. Participation from a wide range of organizations and institutions was witnessed and encouraging, which included: Aga khan University Hospital, Karachi, Liaquat University Medical Hospital, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi Medical College, Rawalpindi, Nokia, Telenor, Mobilink, National Health Policy Unit, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science & Technology, Sustainable Development Policy Institute.

Some of the key recommendations that came out due to healthy discussion and deliberations included, collaborating to improve the existing healthcare systems, need of government to give significant importance to Telehealth as an important tool for extending access to better healthcare, adoption of balanced approach and focus on both preventive and curative measures through Telehealth.

The seminar concluded with a vote of thanks from participants and subject-experts, who appreciated the efforts of COMSATS for holding this important Seminar and resolved to strengthen the synergies for the promotion of Telehealth.