Tharparker Telemedicine

Network

Healthcare services provided at

a Distance using Information Technology

US Agency for International Development ASK Development is a project management, capacity e-Health is the first company in Pakistan working in the (USAID) is strengthening Pakistan on behalf of building and youth development organization. ASK areas of Telemedicine and e-Health. It is enhancing the American people in the fields like Energy have been involved in providing capacity building reach of urban health care services to rural areas of education and economy. USAID is helping to activities for Health & Nutrition Supervisors, Medical Pakistan by the use of Information and Communication increase to the provision of health care services Officers, etc. under the umbrella of projects related to Technology. For this project, role of e-Health is to provide and meet the critical infrastructure needs in health. Under this project; ASK is responsible to technical and operational support by establishing the Hub remote areas. USAID is funding the Tharparker manage the resources like project team, finance, and Kiosk and facilitate the health care services. Main Telemedicine Network for initiating a hiring of required staff, facilities to the technical staff, responsibilities include provision of the technical sustainable quality health services in Pakistan. capacity building, quality assurance, donor relations infrastructure, managing performance of the staff and and reporting . project supervision.

Background – Problem Innovative Quality Health Services – Solution Project Details

When compared to an HDI of .659 Keeping in view the dismal health services situation in  15 Kiosks and 1 Hub would be established; each

in urban Sindh with an HDI of .456 Sindh rural areas, there is a need of an innovative quality kiosk would be operated by 2 franchisees. in rural Sindh areas; shows the health service i.e. Use of Telemedicine technology to  Franchisees would be selected on the basis of urban rural disparity in the enhance outreach, effectiveness and productivity of health Franchise concept, there would be one male one province. Within Sindh province services in Sindh province by “moving information” rather female at each Kiosk who would be having blood than doctor or patient. the district Tharparker with a relations with each other or must be husband and population of 914291 a large Project Objective majority is deprived of basic wife. To provide health care services to 48,750 patients of facilities like health and education.  Selected Franchisees would undergo a 3 months districts Tharparker and Mirpur Khas by setting up a With a population of more than capacity building program to enable them to serve Telemedicine Network 2361014; 71.1% of people are as paramedics/Physician Assistants (PA’s). living in rural areas with How Telemedicine works  15 Kiosks would be established in both districts; insufficient and under quality Telemedicine technology will consist of establishing a self- they would be renovated to accommodate patients medical healthcare facilities in the district Mirpur Khas. sustaining network in Tharparker and Mirpur Khas districts and examining areas. The number of healthcare staff and compromising of 1 Hub in Karachi and 15 Spokes/Kiosk  Hub would be established in Karachi to facilitate Centres. The doctors in Hub and patients & paramedics in health care facilities is very the doctors and support staff with required Kiosk centre would be connected though ICT. In Hub there adverse in these districts. People technology and infrastructure. had to travel long distance to reach would be 4 doctors and 2 staff members who would be  Once Hub and Kiosk established, the formal hospitals located in Karachi and responsible to carry out checkup of each patient for 7-10

Hyderabad from Tharparker and minutes. Once done with the assessment, prescription operations begin. would be made which would be available in printed form.  To affirm an uninterrupted session and unraveling Mirpur Khas. This involves a lot of transportation cost with addition to Rs. 100/- per patient would be charges for every checkup. any technical error; a technical team would be

the fact that it is a time consuming formed. activity. This issue has increased  2 ambulances available to handle any emergency the vulnerability of communities level care and adversely affected the quality of their life.  Quality assurance team comprising of 2 doctors would be formed who will be responsible to monitor each activity through video recording and

personal visits of team.

Project Highlights Project Impact Course Contents of Paramedics Training:

 Provide quality health services to  People will get proper treatment and The selected franchisees would undergo a people in their close vicinity medications in their own villages capacity building program of 3 months to  Availability of services like  They do not have to travel long distances serve as a paramedic/PA. The major course contents are: Ambulance, Pharmacy and towards Hyderabad or Karachi Laboratory  Non-discriminatory provision of healthcare  Use of Telemedicine Technology  Outreach of more than 48,000 facility  Anatomy, Pharmacology, Imaging and patients  Modern technology will inspire local people Laborites  Thorough monitoring and evaluation towards educational change  Para Medical Practice

of all activities through well devised  A sustained income base in form of monthly  Personality Development tools salary  General Training on Health dynamics  Consultation with experienced  Overall improvement of healthcare facility  Organizational and Financial doctors Management

 Save time of traveling  Increased compliance to treatment  Medical record is permanently The paramedics/PA’s would undergo available allowing continuity in an exam conducted by Riphah treatment International to ensure their  Empowerment is achieved where capabilities to carry out the patients starts taking responsibility . of his own health Telemedicine activities

 Self-sustainability: To ensure the Self-sustainability; nominal fees will be charged to patients.

Islamabad Office Karachi Office Lahore Office ASK House # 24 Ibn-e-Sina Road Office #202 and 205 2nd Floor Continental H # 679 B, Faisal Town, Lahore Sector, G-10/3 Islamabad Trade Centre Clifton, Block-8 Karachi Phone: +92 42 351 64 896 -7 Fax: +92 42 351 Phone: +92-51-2353011-13 Fax: +92-51- Phone: +92 21 34212 315 65 947 2353014 [email protected] [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.askdevelopment.org