On Tuesday, in Guinea-Bissau, with the support of the European Union and Portuguese cooperation, the first telemedicine center was opened, which in the first stage will remotely serve patients in the fields of neonatology, pediatrics, obstetrics and ultrasound.
The opening of the platform, installed at the General Military Hospital (HMP) in Bissau, was attended by the Prime Minister of Guinea, Rui Duarte Barros, and the Ambassador of the European Union to Guinea-Bissau, Artis Bertulis.
According to the European diplomat, the University of Porto is currently the first partner of the Bissau telemedicine center, one of the tools to strengthen the country’s Integrated Program for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PIMI).
Artis Bertulis noted that the results of PIMI are “visible” in helping Guinea-Bissau reduce maternal mortality by 30% and infant mortality by 25% in less than a decade.
“This Tuesday we begin a new phase of support for mothers and children, introducing sustainable innovations within the framework of excellence,” emphasized the Ambassador of the European Union.
The technical coordination of the telemedicine center project in Bissau is carried out by the Marquis de Valle Flor Institute.
Project director Ahmed Zaki emphasized the fact that the center allows Guinean patients, “even from remote places,” to be treated by specialists “from other parts of the world.”
The telemedicine center, which opened on Tuesday, will soon serve six more medical specialties, Zaki said.
Guinean Prime Minister Ruy Duarte de Barros thanked the European Union for its cooperation with Guinea-Bissau and called on professionals to use “with great responsibility” the platform, which, according to him, should serve not only the General Military Hospital (HMP), but also other medical centers countries.
Health Minister Domingos Malu noted that the telemedicine center is part of the government’s commitment to reduce maternal and child mortality in the country.
HMP Bissau director general Ramalho Kunda explained that the center, opened on Tuesday, is the European Union’s response to the hospital’s Strategic Plan in the face of a shortage of specialists, a fact he said is causing many patients to look to Senegal for answers. or in Portugal through the Medical Commission.
“In this process, many end up dying,” Kunda stressed.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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