| Workshop on Standardization in E-Health |
Geneva, 23-25 May 2003
Abstract
Bhutanese Telemedicine Activity
The technology of Telemedicine and e-Health has now reached the stage awaiting wide scale application
with promising potential benefits to many of the developing countries scourged persistently by the plague
of resource constraints and harsh natural topography. The transmission of medical images from a remote
understaffed health center to any bigger hospital for specialized and enhanced diagnosis is now a possibility
through the use of Internet Protocol. In the same year as part of its integrated rural development initiative,
the BDT of ITU launched a pilot project in Bhutan on Multipurpose Community Telecentre (MCT) wherein Telemedicine
was one of the components. A tele-radiology pilot project was conducted between 1999 and 2000 connecting Jakar
Hospital in Bumthang and JDWNRH. The image transmissions were conducted successfully and the project ended with
some valuable experiences.
As the second phase of telemedicine applications, last February-March 2003 we developed Tele-ECG in East-Bhutan
tele-ECG over IP which can go a long way in enhancing the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases in the rural
areas of Trashiyangtse and Lhuntse in east Bhutan via PSTN circuit. The benefits of this project includes in
improving medical care for cardiac and emergency patients, for the purpose of early detection of pediatric
abnormality, to gain cost-saving on referral cases and to reduce isolation and provision of CME for health-care
workers through the Internet. This tele-ECG project include application of tele-ECG system and training to
medical professionals which is fully supported by Government of Japan under scheme of Grant Assistance for
Grassroots Project. In this presentation we will briefly describe about Bhutan and our tele-ECG project.
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