Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, on Wednesday, officially commissioned the telemedicine hub in the state, ANAMBRA PEOPLE reports.
He said the hub will be used as a case study in 10 community healthcare centres within the Oyi local government area of the state, to experiment with its effect before linking it to other healthcare centres across 181 communities.
The governor, who performed the commissioning ceremony at Comprehensive Medical Centre Awkuzu, in Oyi Council Area, where the hub is located, and said the hub was part of his plans to boost the healthcare system in Anambra State.
He said the new medical approach was to make up for the deficit in healthcare professionals in the state.
He noted that the Telemedicine Centre is the first of its kind to be launched in Nigeria.
Soludo appealed to the Awkuzu community to ensure adequate protection of the facility.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, in his address, said the initiative would increase access and improve healthcare delivery in the state.
According to him, “telemedicine is the use of telecommunication technology to remotely diagnose and treat patients from any location, adding that it could be through telephone conversation, e-mail or instant messaging conversation.”
He said, “It is an innovative way of getting access and delivering healthcare through digital devices such as mobile devices and computers.”
“Telemedicine means that you can be in the comfort of your home and book an appointment to see a doctor that is working anywhere in the world.
“The hub would enable Ndi-Anambra to get medical attention globally, the Commissioner added.
In his remark, the Oyi Local Government Area Transition Committee Chairman, Chief Emmanuel Nweke, while appreciating the governor, for the project, promised to ensure adequate security in and around the hub.
It was gathered that the Telemedicine Centre was built and donated to the state government by a community group, Adinma Awkuzu Association.
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