It’s very comforting to know that the Internet plays a crucial role in bridging medical experts and struggling patients across the world. Telemedicine, defined as the transfer of medical information via Internet or telephone for consulting and remote medical procedures, is simply an overwhelming technology.
A truly touching example is the successful activation of an inner-ear device performed by a New York-based doctor to a deaf patient in Uganda. According to a news article, Dr. J. Thomas Roland, co-director of NYU Medical Center’s cochlear implant center, has learned about the case of David Nuwagaba, a 23-year old man in Uganda who became due to toxic effects of tuberculosis drug.
Roland decided to offer his services free of charge to perform the complex cochlear implant or the surgical operation to put a small electronic device in the inner ear so Nuwagaba can hear again after 2 long years. Even the device is free since it was donated by its manufacturer.
To cut the long story short and edit all the technical jargons, their cultures, geographic location and time zone differences did not matter to carry out the complicated operation. This is the world’s first activation of an inner ear device from halfway around the globe.
Hopefully, this will inspire bigger companies and non-profit organizations to improve telemedicine and save more lives regardless of location and disease.
Originally posted on March 4, 2008 @ 1:11 pm