Karachi, March 25, 2023 (PPI-OT): The Tele-Emergency Medicine (EM) Project is the first of its kind endeavour, initiated by IHHN’s Emergency Department for the provision of holistic patient care at District Headquarter (DHQ) hospitals in Badin and Gwadar. Indus Hospital and Health Network held the inaugural ceremony of the Tele-EM project on March 24, 2023. The Tele-EM project aims to extend 24/7 real-time teleconsultations from Qualified EM physicians from the Emergency Department (ED) at Indus Hospital, Korangi Campus, for High Acuity adult patients presenting in the EDs of DHQ Hospitals in Badin and Gwadar. This service will regulate the management of acute emergencies, train EM physicians onsite, and streamline ED process flow and floor dynamics in the DHQ hospitals.
Emergency care is an important component of a health care system needed to effectively manage acute care illnesses. Despite its rising demand in Pakistan, the field has been under prioritized and faces a dire lack of resources and competent healthcare professionals. In Pakistan, the health sector is plagued with limited resources and trained personnel. 75% of the Pakistani population lives in rural areas and is served by only 22 % of doctors. Remote and rural areas lack specialty services, trained personnel, and appropriate equipment. This creates a hiatus in the delivery of adequate emergency care.
Tele-EM, despite being an under-explored field in Pakistan, has great potential to improve the quality of services, and patient outcomes in remote health centers. Through this service, underserved healthcare facilities may be able to access specialist support that is otherwise lacking. IHHN’s Tele-EM Project endeavour to uphold the vision of IHHN and provide access to free-of-cost quality healthcare to all patients in need. Overall, the initiative will work to reduce disease burden, patient mortality, ED waiting times, and length of stay, and improve patient satisfaction at the IHHN-managed DHQ Hospitals.
In addition, the project will empower IHHN’s workforce with the expertise to identify and effectively manage acute emergencies, provide initial care, and practice safe transfers where required. Currently, the Tele-EM Project services are extended at the IHHN-managed DHQ hospital in Badin. In the future, this project will be launched at DHQ Hospital in Gwadar as well. Dr. Sama Mukhtar, Consultant, EM, IHHN, led the inaugural ceremony, which was attended by IHHN’s senior leadership, including Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, President; Dr. Syed Zafar Zaidi, CEO; Dr. Abdul Karim Paracha, Chairman of IHHN’s Board of Directors; and Dr. Muhammad Shamvil Ashraf, Executive Director, Medical Services.
Also present were Mr. Shakeel Akhtar, Chief Information Officer; Dr. Ashar Alam, Medical Director, IHHN Korangi Campus; Dr. Saima Ali, Head, EM Department; Dr. S. Ghazanfar Saleem, Chair EM Services; Dr. Adeel Khatri – Consultant, EM; Imran Jamal; and Tariq Aziz, nursing.
For more information, contact
The Indus Hospital (TIH)
C-76, Sector 31/5, Opposite Darussalam Society,
Korangi Crossing, Karachi – 75190, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35112709-17
Fax: +92-21-35112718
Email: crd@indushospital.org.pk
Website: http://www.indushospital.org.pk/