Telemedicine through mobile: Vodafone’s 3G network serving people health care in country’s most remote areas

Vodafone Albania and its Foundation, in a strategic partnership with Ministry of Health announced today the kick off of the ‘Telemedicine through mobile’ initiative - an innovative, simple, quick, sustainable response to the primary health care in the country’s most remote areas throughout the use of Vodafone’s fast 3G technology. This project shall be delivered through the professional expertise of Albanian Red Cross and Hygeia Hospital.
 
This is the first telemedicine through mobile in Albania which represents an unlimited time service system which enables carrying out a number of health parameters’ tests related to preventing health issues, which by statistics are responsible for a high number of fatalities, including tests for hypertension & cardiovascular indicators, respiratory diseases and diabetes. It makes a difference because it serves to the population of a minimum of 400 villages located in the most remote areas, known as quite poor areas. The long list of villages include regions of Malesia e Madhe, Tropoja, Kukes, Shkoder, Puka, Diber, Mirdite, Mat, Librazhd, Gramsh, Pogradec, Korce, Vlore, Berat, Permet, Gjirokaster and many others.

Such innovative and technology oriented project allows the patient’s data collected by the tests performed by the team of the Albanian Red Cross at the spot, fed into a smartphone and transferred in a real time by using the Vodafone fast 3G network operation directly to the Hospital Hygeia in Tirana where a specialized doctor will provide the physician’s opinion to the patient and to the family doctor in the area within 24 hours.

Through a close monitoring of the project implementation and relevant impacts evaluation, the team of experts from Ministry of Health contribution is expected to review and improve step by step the project development. ‘We are proud and grateful to partner with a responsible business such Vodafone, which created this unique initiative in benefit of the people’s health’ – stated the Minister of Health, Mr. Petrit Vasili during the press conference.

 Vodafone Albania CEO Haris Broumidis said that this project is part if his company’s Corporate Responsibility commitment – a promise that he had made last month when Vodafone was awarded the Annual Business Philanthropy Award 2011.  "While applying our responsible business role, we looked at our capacities and opportunities. Beside our charitable donations through Foundation programs, we looked at our opportunities offered by the technology and we simply thought of ‘are we doing enough by using our capacities and advantages of our technology?’ – this was the inspiring to lead towards what we are introducing to Albanians today.” – Mr Broumidis said.

For more questions, please contact Vodafone Albania Foundation at foundation.al@vodafone.com