[ALOCHONA] Telemedicine lifeline for Bangladesh villages

Telemedicine lifeline for villages   Tests will be transmitted to Dhaka for analysis By Alfred Hermida BBC News Online in Bangladesh Rural doctors in one of the world's poorest countries are going to be offered online medical centres in an attempt to help them provide better care for the sick.   A private company called Bangladesh Telemedicine Services (BTS) has come up with an ambitious project to set up telemedicine centres to help doctors identify diseases early on. The centres will be linked to a network of 200 specialists in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, who will be on hand to offer their expert opinion.   "If a doctor has a heart patient but he is not able to read the electrocardiogram, the image can to sent to Dhaka for expert interpretation and that may save a life," said Dr Sikder Zakir, BTS Managing Director.   Cost-savings The project is being run on entirely commercial grounds, with no funds coming from foreign donors. Bangladesh health facts Population: 131,269,860 Infant mortality rate: 69.85 deaths per 1,000 births Life expectancy: 60 years Death rate: 8.6 deaths per 1,000 population Source: CIA World Factbook 2001 Its backers are confident they can make money from the rural centres through the cost-savings generated by identifying diseases in the early stages.   "Bangladesh spends US$1bn on healthcare but patients are not getting the expected care," said Dr Zakir. "If we get to the disease in the early stages, we can save 20 times the money we are spending."   The problem is that many doctors and health workers lack the expertise to recognise an illness in its early stages. So by the time they work out what the problem is, the disease may be in an advanced state.. It means families are faced with high medical bills, particularly if they have to send their relative to Dhaka or even abroad for treatment.   "Catching the disease in its early stages is far more cost-effective in the long run," explained Dr Zakir. "If we can prevent two medical evacuations from rural areas, we can save money and provide treatment for the equivalent of 20 people."   Internet links For the first stage of the project, 50 telemedicine centres are planned within a 120-mile radius of Dhaka.   Women's healthcare could be improved BTS will be paying for the clinics and equipment at a cost of $8,000 each. The facilities will be offered to local doctors for free, with them owning 60% and BTS keeping the remaining 40%. "We will give them the training and the facility for free but they have to operate the centre," said Dr Zakir. "They need to treat patients to make money."   At the end of the day, the rural doctors will be able to send case files and queries to headquarters in Dhaka over the internet.   The company is confident it can make the centres profitable as they will have a pharmacy attached and this is the most lucrative area.   It has been working on the idea for the past three years. Initially BTS met some resistance from rural doctors who feared that the company would be taking over their practice. It says it is now getting a more positive response.   For the last two years, the company has been running a telemedicine clinic in Dhaka, with links to specialists in the US and Canada.   http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2288619.stm     About Telemedicine Reference Center Ltd   Telemedicine Reference Center Ltd. (TRCL), headed by Dr. Sikder M. Zakir, provides low-cost technological and medical solutions to healthcare organizations in developing countries and has pioneered development of international teleconsultation services in Bangladesh in partnership with University of Nebraska Medical Center / Nebraska Health System (UNMC/NHS) and Second Opinion Software, LLC. TRCL is implementing an ambitious rural telehealthcare system in Bangladesh, where rural doctors will be provided with expert medical consultative services from capital city Dhaka Although it is a privately funded project, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of People's Republic of Bangladesh is playing a significant role in TRCL's rural telehealthcare program implementation.   http://www.fonemed.com/pr/pr110502.htm     The Company Trends shows that patients are seeking diagnostic and medical consultations services abroad, which is due to increasing patient population, non-standard healthcare facilities and lack of physicians. With this in mind, Telemedicine Reference Center Ltd. (TRCL), a limited liability company registered in Bangladesh has taken the giant step to develop telemedicine system in Bangladesh for the first time. TRCL is able to provide its clients - hospitals, clinics, laboratories and patients, with a cost saving solution, the cost of which justifies the purchase and use of our telemedicine equipment and services. Our healthcare system provides with US standard healthcare management systems and tools for the healthcare facilities and personnel to offer comprehensive and world-class diagnostic and treatment services to their patients by using the TRCL electronic medical network, the main gateway to the global medicine. Mission Our mission is to lead the advancement of medical sciences in developing countries and to provide best possible health care solutions of any magnitude to individuals, families and national health needs, by incorporating state-of-the art medical sciences and technological innovations into day-to-day operations by keeping pace with the rapid development of computer, information and medical sciences around the globe. Objectives The objectives of the company are: 1. To introduce world-class medical treatment protocols by US-Bangladesh joint medical consultation programs. 2. To develop and introduce electronic medical record (EMR) and referral systems for the subscribers of the company. 3. To provide "Backbone" for modernization of the health care facilities and medical institutes of the developing countries. 4. To shift to the earnings in the year two and to accelerate gross margin contributions by building market maturity on top of infrastructure. 5. To expand nationwide and to achieve cost-benefit through franchising of proprietary brands to penetrate new markets while consolidating service capability without compromising patient care standard. 6. To establish an intelligent medical network for effective diffusion and distribution of medical expertise from developed nations to developing countries. 7. To convert the status of the company from profitable to non-profitable organization under self-sustainable programs within 5 years time. Our Unique Characteristics Making Healthcare Effective and Affordable through Telemedicine By: Reducing patient's visits to specialized healthcare canters Decreasing number of repetitive investigations by generating Electronic Medical Records (EMR) for proper continuation of treatment Providing US standard training facilities for local healthcare professionals. Making available of standardized diagnostic facilities in every districts of Bangladesh. Using available communication infrastructure i.e. normal analog-digital telephone lines, Intranet, Internet, Wireless and Satellite for distant patient management. Dr. Sikder M. Zakir, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Telemedicine Reference Center Ltd. (TRCL) has extensive knowledge and experience in the healthcare management by the use of telemedicine due to his active role and participation in the telemedicine initiatives of Asia and other advanced telemedicine sites in USA, UK, Japanese Telemedicine Society, European and North American telemedicine initiatives. During his research on telemedicine it was pointed out that no single company could offer a comprehensive solution to the healthcare needs of patients in the developing countries. This situation inspired him to design and develop in cooperation with different US healthcare organizations, a complete solution for medically underserved countries through Telemedicine Reference Center Ltd. ("TRCL").   TRCL, a "One Stop Center" for national, regional and international healthcare needs of any magnitude. Providing affordable telemedicine and reduce the cost of medicine. Provider of support and services for modernization of health care sector of developing nations by acting as the "Backbone" for diffusion and transfer of technical expertise from developed nations to developing countries. Providing the Telemedicine Users with: Access to Global Medicine Clinically tested medical peripherals for telemedicine. Complete turnkey service program: includes installation, maintenance, support and training. Purchase, lease or rental programs, those include our turnkey service program. Full line of products: carts, desktop, telemedicine peripherals, briefcase/portables, in-home, ultrasound, and mobile telemedicine system. Network design, cost effective, Data, Voice and Video (DVV), IP Switching, T1, and intranet/internet State-of-the art training program for physicians, nurses, health care delivery personnel and management personnel This "Telemedicine Solution" concept serves the doctor and patient by providing remote consultative services live, "real time" via available communication services. Although Telemedicine has been available to the military medicine and major hospitals and clinics in USA, there existed a "void" in the affordable equipment and services available to the medical community of the developing countries. The high cost of equipment and connections, coupled with the large staffing requirements to install and maintain these primitive systems, made it impossible for all but the giants of the medical world to afford. The introduction of our "Telemedicine Solution" provides an affordable, easy to use effective "Complete" solution, to the entire medical community at cost levels, which are more affordable. The savings in time and communications costs alone puts the "Telemedicine Solution" on the very top of healthcare management policy modification in developing countries.   By using the cutting edge technology in our Telemedicine products, digital compression of Data, Voice and Video (DVV), ultra high-speed mass storage, along with creative product design, we can effectively and affordably provide "The Complete Telemedicine Solution" in an affordable fashion for developing countries.   "Telemedicine Solution" is the answer for the "New Millennium" TRCL has made major breakthrough in the development of end user telemedicine workstation successfully integrating them into all known methods of communication networks. TRCL is the only provider of cheapest telemedicine products in Asian countries that enables every providers with the capabilities to transmit video, audio and images from echocardiogram, ultrasound, EKG, digital stethoscope, vital signs unit, dermatology, ophthalmology, teleradiology, ENT scopes, telephone, and LAN traffic via one connection over existing telecommunication channels.   http://www.trclcare.com/aboutus.html

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