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The Edo State government in partnership with the Association of Nigerian Physicians in America (ANPA), on Tuesday, unveiled telemedicine innovation to improve access to quality healthcare, reduce financial barriers and ensure positive health outcomes.
Speaking at the launch of the Edo telemedicine hub at Ugbor Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Benin City, Governor Godwin Obaseki said the medical service, which is computer-based, would commence at some of the PHCs in the metropolis with the hope of extending it to hard-to-reach communities across the state.
Obaseki, represented by Osarodion Ogie, secretary to the state government, said the initiative was part of the government’s commitment to fulfill its electioneering promises of strengthening basic education, revitalising primary health care and providing employment for the youth.
He said his administration is achieving its plan to provide at least one primary healthcare centre in every ward so as to decentralize the healthcare system with a view to increasing access to quality and affordable healthcare for every resident.
The governor, while noting that his government would ensure the service is sustained, expressed gratitude to the Nigerian physicians in America for their committed efforts to improve the health of Edo people.
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Philip Osehobo, a representative of ANPA, in his remarks, said the telemedicine idea, which was conceived after the medical outreach recently carried out in the state, was to create an avenue to establish continuity of care between the doctors and the patients.
“We needed to continue to see these patients on an ongoing basis, and the way to do that was not for us to keep flying back to see the patient. So, telemedicine became our path to establish continuity of care.
“Now that we know it works, we partnered with the state government leveraging one healthcare centre at a time to provide healthcare to indigenes of Edo State by telemedicine. Telemedicine is the ability to use technology to provide healthcare to individuals as if you are doing it in person using technology and telecommunications.
“There are doctors lined up waiting to see our people every Saturday. Part of our mission is providing cost-effective medications. We have shifts and they are doing it out of the benevolent of their hearts and humanitarian sake. It gladdens my heart that we are here to see the realisation given to humanity,” Osehobo said.
