KARACHI, March 20: Telemedicine, a new way of treatment through which medical professionals use computers and telecommunication equipment to provide health care to long-distance patients, can immensely benefit rural communities in Pakistan where access to specialized care is non-existent.

This was stated by health experts at a seminar on the ‘potential and importance of Telemedicine in Pakistan’, organized on Thursday by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) at its Vicky Zeitlline Library.

Prominent among those who spoke included Prof Ahmad Fawad, Consultant Surgeon and Urologist, Ziauddin Hospital, Dr Musarrat Hussain, Head of Psychiatry department, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical centre (JPMC) and Dr Zakiuddin Ahmad, Chief Operating Officer, Smart Health care and regional head, Telemedicine Forum, Ministry of science and Technology.

Prof Dr Ahmad Fawad said that this aspect of medicine can play crucial rule in redressing the health related issues faced by the population inhabiting the rural areas and small towns of the country.

“There stands an exigency to create awareness among masses about its use during any emergency situation, specially in those remote places of the country where inadequate health facilities are causing immense problem and claiming precious lives”.

He said that patients, through telemedicine, could seek medical assistance without travelling long distances.

Referring to basic requirements of Telemedicine, he said that availability of tele-network and connectivity, telemedicine tools and trained personnel were some of the prerequisites needed for operating it effectively.

According to him in a natural disaster like earthquake telemedicine was used in some of the countries to transmit details of the injured persons to the doctors for provision of medical care as in such emergency situations the services of doctors were not available.

He said telemedicine also includes teledermatology, telecradiology, telepsychology and teleradiology.

“Ironically in Karachi hardly 5 internationally trained radiologists are working for intervention radiology which clearly signifies acute lack of trained manpower in this specific field”.