العربية
Remote Diagnosis Initiative
Pillars : Digital Health
In order to achieve more care for health services, which are the most important axes of building the Egyptian human being, which is considered the most important pillar in implementing the state's plan for sustainable development 2030 and the government's program, and in view of the effective role of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in working to raise the efficiency and develop medical and health services provided at the national level, which includes among its priorities building and developing the remote diagnosis system as a pioneering model in enhancing the services provided by the state to the citizen.
A strategic vision was reached for the remote diagnosis project that allows for expansion and spread in providing services and is consistent with Egypt's Vision 2030, which set among its most important goals improving health care as a national priority through the following goal:
"Contributing to improving the health sector in remote and rural areas using information and communications technology solutions by providing better diagnostic services, to enable every citizen in remote areas to obtain high-quality health care services."
Hence, the announcement of the presidential initiative in 2018 to launch 300 remote medical diagnosis units to represent a national project with the highest priority for implementation, from which the generalization of this experience that was implemented in Aswan Governorate, Siwa Oasis and the Kharga Oasis is launched, to easily reach the largest number of citizens throughout the Arab Republic of Egypt.
At a time when the remote diagnosis project has turned into a presidential initiative, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has worked hard to activate the role of information and communications technology in supporting the health system in a more effective way, and achieving the maximum investment of available resources by developing and refining the scientific and skill level of doctors by taking advantage of distance learning technologies, in addition to contributing to the creation of patient databases equipped with the patient's diagnostic history within a plan to unify patient databases in the Arab Republic of Egypt.
This was followed by the spread of remote diagnosis project units in a larger number of Egyptian cities and governorates, as the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology implemented 150 remote diagnosis units, covering a large number of Egyptian governorates, and it has become easier for citizens to obtain medical services with a high level of efficiency.
Hence, the project's goal crystallized after transforming into a presidential initiative sponsored by the state into:
Building a national network for remote medical diagnosis and treatment; and building a database for patients to cover all remote, marginalized and border areas in the Arab Republic of Egypt; to ensure access to high-quality medical services to all citizens of the Republic without discrimination.
Signing a tripartite cooperation protocol between communications, health and higher education:
In order to achieve a real shift in the level of services provided to citizens, and to spread them on the widest scale, and the necessity of building and developing a remote diagnosis system.; A tripartite cooperation protocol was signed in January 2020, regarding providing health expertise and consultations to citizens through remote diagnosis applications, between the Ministries of Communications and Information Technology, Health and Population, and Higher Education and Scientific Research, in order to activate the role of information and communications technology to support the health system and benefit from the resources available to the three ministries and work on their integration; This is in order to improve the health services provided to the Egyptian citizen and reduce the burden on him, using information and communications technology, and providing high-quality medical diagnostic services to marginalized and deprived areas, as the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is committed to its role in providing the required technologies of devices, applications, and communication line service at appropriate speeds and full hosting service for the system, in addition to installing and operating remote diagnosis units in hospitals entrusted with operating the service, and technical supervision and review of technical solutions for hosting and securing software for the system of providing medical and health services remotely
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Related Success Stories
Siwa Oasis The Beginning of Success in Remote Diagnosis
The remote diagnosis project began in Siwa Oasis in Marsa Matrouh Governorate, that remote oasis located in the heart of the Western Desert. Siwa Oasis has a unique and different nature on the social, cultural and demographic levels; therefore, we had to use innovative mechanisms that rely on specialized applications in various development fields, especially those related to enhancing the health status of children in the oasis, as the inherited customs in remote areas and communities with a semi-isolated nature greatly affect dealing with health problems for individuals there, especially at the level of diagnosing diseases that affect children in the oasis, in addition to the long distances between the oasis and urban areas that enjoy a better level of health care.
During the implementation of the field needs study for the project, several challenges faced the implementation, the most prominent of which were:
• Lack of highly experienced doctors and consultants.
• Lack of technological skills in the Siwa community.
• Lack of medical facilities that provide health care.
Siwa's work model for remote diagnosis:
Based on the needs study; In cooperation with partners at this stage (WHO, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, and Vodafone Egypt Foundation), a technological model was designed for a remote diagnosis program aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality rates among children in Siwa, by linking Siwa General Hospital to the Pediatrics Department at Shatby Hospital in Alexandria. The technological model took into account a number of important aspects, as it enabled medical consultations with remote areas, which saved patients the burden of costs and the trouble of traveling to major central hospitals with facilities to diagnose the disease with specialists outside the Siwa Oasis. It also helped patients with long-term health conditions to monitor and manage their health conditions at Siwa Local Hospital, while at the same time their results were monitored by healthcare professionals at Alexandria Central Hospital, through which communication was made with local doctors in Siwa about the patients’ conditions. In cooperation with the World Health Organization, the hospital and clinics were equipped with interactive audio and video transmission devices (video conferencing), the Internet, and an online camera. It is worth mentioning here that at this stage of the project, the World Health Organization and the Faculty of Medicine in Alexandria played an important role in providing specialized medical and health content that helped in health awareness as well as teaching good health practices within the Siwa Oasis.
Impact in Siwa:
The remote diagnosis initiative in Siwa made a big difference in the quality of life of the citizens there, as it helped develop health care services through the emergence of the following effects:
The project provided better opportunities for emergency cases to access the correct medical diagnosis.
There was also a noticeable increase in the field of improving the quality of health care services, with the introduction of the e-learning mechanism in building the capacities of doctors practicing in the Siwa Oasis.
More than 500 children benefited from remote diagnosis services, while a number of doctors from Siwa Central Hospital were trained on remote diagnosis procedures, in addition to teaching e-medicine using the pathological diagnosis program, while other doctors from the medical staff were trained on how to operate the remote diagnosis system
2010 Remote Diagnosis Awards
The AGFUND Prize was evidence of a successful path and societal impact of the Remote Diagnosis Project, as the project received the 2010 Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND) International Award in the field of "Development of Remote and Rural Communities Using Informations and Communications Applications" out of 28 projects that applied for the award. Also in the same year 2010, the Siwa Integrated Technology Development Project was selected for the Dubai International Award (DIABP) for best practices that have a positive impact on improving the living environment, and empowering the public with possible solutions to social and economic problems.
Remote Diagnosis and Dealing with the Covid-19 Crisis
In 2020, in light of the circumstances of the Corona pandemic, which forced everyone to turn to new mechanisms in treatment, the most influential role was the remote diagnosis initiative, as there was a need to further use remote diagnostic services, especially to confront chronic and infectious diseases, in order to reduce the burden on medical staff, by reducing patient visits to the hospital, as this service is safer for patients and doctors alike and benefits more outpatients in all specialties, and patients. Hence, the remote diagnosis initiative succeeded in having a clear impact during the circumstances of the Corona pandemic, as its importance in maintaining the health and safety of both doctors and patients at this critical stage was demonstrated.
Based on the repercussions of the spread of the novel coronavirus, a number of hospitals have been equipped for health isolation, and the Ministry of Communications and Informations Technology has transferred 14 units out of 150 remote diagnostic units that have already entered into operation to isolation hospitals, including (Khalifa Hospital, Al-Ajami Central Hospital, Esna Hospital, 15th of May Hospital, Qaha Hospital, Malawi Hospital, Nasser Institute), in addition to operating Al-Nagela Hospital in Marsa Matrouh and Al-Sadaqa Hospital in Aswan, with training of workers there on the operating system. As announced by the Ministry of Health & population that the application using of remote diagnosis and treatment in isolation hospitals, and it has already been used
to diagnose infection with the Corona virus at Al-Najila Isolation Hospital in Marsa Matrouh Governorate, by recording the medical procedures of citizens who were detained in quarantine in Matrouh.
In fact, the remote diagnosis and treatment service began before the outbreak of COVID-19, but the demand for this service increased sharply during the prevention of the epidemic and combating it for reasons such as quarantine and the reduction in the number of patients in hospitals, so the remote diagnosis system continues to work to adapt health care services that have a significant impact on the lives and comfort of humanity and provide them with a healthy and safe living.
Telemedicine- New Valley
New Valley/Assiut, June 2022: In cooperation with the Ministries of Communications and Information Technology, Health and Population, and Higher Education and Scientific Research, a remote diagnostic system, implemented jointly by the three entities, successfully saved the life of a newborn baby girl in New Valley Governorate.
The baby girl, who was delivered at home in Dakhla Oasis, New Valley Governorate, was born with a congenital defect and was placed in a private medical incubator. Doctors diagnosed her with a diaphragmatic hernia, stomach and intestines in her chest, and lung atrophy. She remained in the private incubator for several days, after which her condition deteriorated, and she was transferred to the incubator at Dakhla General Hospital in New Valley. The hospital's neonatologist requested an urgent remote diagnosis session for premature babies, contacting Assiut University Hospital. Several consultant professors at the hospital examined the case. The medical team decided to transfer the baby to Assiut University Hospital. Coordination was made with the Ambulance Authority to transport the baby in an ambulance equipped with an incubator. She was transferred from Dakhla General Hospital to Assiut University Hospital, and the necessary measures were taken to prepare her for urgent surgery. This comes within the framework of the Presidential Initiative for Remote Diagnosis, which provides medical services to remote and most needy areas. Over the past years, it has helped save the lives of many patients, especially children and the elderly, who are difficult to reach. It has also provided technological solutions through remote diagnosis techniques and supported health services to be more effective, efficient, and speedy, based on the presence of a digital infrastructure prepared to provide these advanced services.
AGFUND 2010
The Integrated Technology Development Program in Siwa Oasis, the Remote Medical Diagnosis Project, won the 2010 AGFUND Award.