A special program that is training women in rural Bangladesh to become nurses, a project that allows doctors
in India to make “house calls” with residents who cannot easily visit a care center, and a global effort to fulfill the needs of impoverished women by bringing them affordable appropriate technologies that increase income and improve health, were honored this month as part of the WHCC Affordable Health Innovations Exhibit in Washington, D.C.
The exhibit, which featured 75 innovations from around the world, was held in conjunction with the 8th Annual World Health Care Congress and WHCC Affordable Health Innovations Global Initiative. This marks the third consecutive year WHCC has granted awards to poster presenters.
Telemedince India of the Apollo Hospital Groups earned the top award for its initiative that uses a webcam enabled laptop and wireless modem so doctors can make virtual house visits. Visits to hospitals are time consuming, expensive and physically challenging particularly if the patient is elderly and/ or physically or mentally challenged. There is considerable stress on the near and dear to work out all the logistics. In the 21st century, house visits particularly by specialists are almost unknown.
Sangita Reddy, CEO, of Apollo Hospital Groups accepted the award at WHCC on behalf of the Telemedicine Department.
AYZH (pronounced ‘eyes’) received an award for its efforts to prevent maternal and newborn death, a significant problem in the developing world. Roughly 1,600 women per day die from complications associated with pregnancy or childbirth, due to infection as the leading cause. AYZH distributes JANMA – clean birth kits – that costs $2 and can dramatically reduce lethal childbirth infection. It is sourced and assembled in India by rural women, creating economic opportunity in the communities they serve. They distribute JANMA through an established network of local pharmacies, clinics, and women-focused nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations.
Zubaida Bai, CEO and founder of AYZH accepted the award.
The Grameen Caledonian College (GCU) of Nursing in Scotland received an award for its program that trains rural women in Bangladesh to become nurses. The need for qualified nurses in Bangladesh is significant. Compared to the United Kingdom, where 680,000 registered nurses serve a population of 60 million, Bangladesh struggles with only 23,000 nurses for their population of 145 million. Through its work with The Grameen Trust, GCU is establishing a high-quality college for the education of nurses and midwives in Dhaka. The college is developing nursing and midwifery standards in Bangladesh to an international level through the provision of the highest quality education and research.
Barbra Parfitt, Director of the Caledonian Centre for Global Health, accepted the award.
April 27, 2011 at 1:09 pm |
Great Article about the future of medicine. Telemedicine will allow the most distant places have a great health care. Soldiers, oil rigs workers, delegations, ambassadors and businessmen in all the corners of the world can use American best medicine through the technology advanced telemedicine equipment.