ETIM EFFIONG
The Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos State, has begun a free fungal infections telemedicine centre in the state.
The Provost of the College of Medicine, Prof Adewale Oke said the centre would help patients all over the world to access the medical facility.
Speaking during the inauguration of the centre on Thursday, Oke added that the telemedicine centre would also serve as a teaching hub for students and management of other diseases.
The provost said: “Telemedicine is meant to ease communication between physician and the patient and particularly useful where there is little or no doctors.
“With telemedicine, I can communicate with anybody around the world and share not only information but with the patient video and pictures.
“The patient’s real area of default can be shared with other experts to get the normal diagnosis of the patient.
“This centre will not only manage the disease but also serve as a teaching hub for students in the university.”
Dr Rita Oladele, Coordinator of the centre and Acting Head of Department, Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, stated that most physicians do not bring their expertise in the treatment of invasive fungal infection.
Oladele, who is also the President of the Medical Microbiology Society of Nigeria, said over the years, the society had been trying to raise awareness among health workers on the risk of invasive fungal disease and how it could be prevented.
“Invasive fungal infection is something most doctors don’t think about and due to that, patients die unnecessarily from something that is preventable.
“I keep getting phone calls and most times I have to manage patients through other doctors on the phone which is not very safe.
“So, we decided to deploy telemedicine to visualise and see the patient we are trying to manage,” Dr Oladele said.
The acting HOD said that the free centre was set up to give back to the public as well as to partner media organisations to create awareness on disease infections and prevention.
Dr Osahon Omorodion, Senior Manager, Medical, Pfizer, praised the initiator of the centre and promised to maintain partnership in ensuring telemedicine thrived in Nigeria.
Omorodion noted that Pfizer would continue to support the initiative and provide equipment for the treatment of invasive fungal disease patients in the country.