The College of Medicine, University of Lagos, on Thursday inaugurated free fungal infections telemedicine centre in Lagos.
Speaking during the inuguration, the Provost of the college, Prof. Adewale Oke, said that the centre would enable patients from all over the world to have access to the medical facility.
According to the provost, the centre would also serve as teaching hub for students and management of other diseases.
“Telemdicine 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 disease but also serve as teaching hub for students in the university,” the provost said.
Dr. Rita Oladele, Coordinator of the centre and Acting Head of Department, Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, said that most physicians do not bring their expertise in treatment of invasive fungal infection.
Oladele, who also President, 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 phone which is not very safe.
“So we decided to deploy telemedicine to visulise 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, Managing Director, Pfizer, commended the initiator of the centre and promised to maintain the partnership in ensuring telemedicine thrived in Nigeria.
Omorodion added that Pfizer would continue to support the initiative and provide equipment for the treatment of invasive fungal disease patient in the country. (NAN)
