As part of efforts to enable vulnerable persons have access to medical professionals and efficient healthcare, the Edo state government has fixed Tuesday for official commencement of telemedicine services.
The government said the services would leverage the primary healthcare centres to deliver medical care to patients at a distant, using the existing broadband infrastructure.
The state commissioner for health, Dr. Obehi Akoria, disclosed this to journalists at one of the telemedincine facilities at Oredo primary health centre in Benin City, the state capital.
Akoria noted that the programme will provide quality healthcare services to Edo residents for free.
She also added that about 25 persons had been attended to while test running of the scheme.
According to her, “They (patients) consult our doctors in the United States of America. Doctors abroad sit in their offices and we schedule patients for them to see.
“The doctors in America will be on the screen, talking to the patients in Benin, asking questions, making decisions, at the end, write prescriptions and the patients go home with their medicines which is free.
“As it is right now, this is being done on a purely Volunteers basis, a free services courtesy of the government of Edo State. The government is investing in the hardwares, computers, Internet and solar panels required for this job.”
