Dakulala says govt looking at telemedicine

THE Government is looking at options of possibly operating telemedicine in PNG and China wants to help.
Deputy Health Secretary Dr Paison Dakulala said telemedicine (television medicine) was an innovation that was used in countries to improve medical operations.
He was speaking while welcoming the ninth Chinese medical team who will be volunteering for a year at the Port Moresby General Hospital, and a delegation from a China’s affiliated hospital to the Chongqing Medical University, who will briefly stay to explore the possibility of a joint telemedicine programme between the two hospitals.
“It is like video that is taken at one setting like in a hospital or operating theatre or whatever the setting is and it looks at diagnostic challenges or dealing with trying to provide treatment and care,” Dakulala said.
“Just imagine if that innovation is available for all our health facilities in the country, because we have only basically trained health workers and their diagnostic ability in terms of diagnosing big challenging problems is limited.”
He said Health Minister Sir Puka Temu did want to explore into that innovation.
Dakulala said many countries were using telemedicine in their daily operations.
He said while the doctor may not be able to be present in person to treat a patient at a health centre or hospital, he can through camera treat the patient from another location or health centre.
“We have capacity issues, we do not have enough doctors, nurses and health workers to go around into those health facilities right at the ground level so this sort of medicine will help us to bring up the standards and provide some sort of solutions so answers could be given.”