Friday, April 4, 2008

THE DOCTOR IS ONLINE

Patients in Ethiopia are benefiting from the expertise of doctors in India. With their patients present, doctors in the Horn of Africa nation are exchanging medical information via the Web and discussing cases with doctors in Hyderabad in live video feeds. The $2.1 million telemedicine project seeks to fill major gaps in Ethiopia's medical system and is similar to one that India is developing for domestic use.

· Ethiopia has one doctor for every 37,000 residents.

· India has one doctor for every 1,666 residents.

· Ethiopia has only one teaching hospital.

SOURCES: Reuters, the Economist, Telemedicine Society of India