Delivering on the political and social promise of healthcare equity for all, 19Labs’ eClinics and broadband connectivity finally enable affordable, smart healthcare in rural communities.
Redwood City, CA – December 12, 2022
In cooperation with the country’s Ministry of Health and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, a telemedicine pilot program with GALE eClinics was launched in four remote areas of Guyana.
“We have reached a milestone and begin a journey that has the potential to transform health.” - Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation Board Chairman.
During the Telemedicine Launch, 19Labs CEO, Ram Fish, joined Guyana’s Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, in Masakenari, or as it is better known locally, Gunns Village. They were welcomed by the village Toshao, Paul Chekema, and the village residents. Using the newly installed eClinic system, Gunns was able to connect to the Georgetown Public Hospital and the three other villages that form part of this pilot program.
The purpose of this program is to provide equitable healthcare to all of Guyana’s citizens. This is to keep in line with the vision of Guyana's President, Dr. Ali, of creating a ‘world-class’ healthcare system for Guyana. Board Chairman of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, began the launch event by saying:
“Our ambition is to improve health care for all of our people, and as we understand that we can’t put…a Georgetown public-level hospital in every village, we believe that citizens, in every part of the country, could get access to basic healthcare. There are various strategies to do so, and one of those strategies is telemedicine. We have reached a stage this morning, where we could launch Guyana’s national telemedicine program.”
One of the major challenges in achieving such a vision is the remote locations with the lack of connectivity. Gunns Village itself is a 5-day boat and land trek during the rainy season when planes cannot use the local airstrip. 19Labs is proud to provide a solution and rise above such hurdles as the four health posts that are part of this pilot are now connected to the world through the internet over satellite.
With the GALE eClinic Telemedicine units, even the most isolated village now has access to top-quality medical care. In a very short time, Gunns went from an area that had no connectivity, electricity, and little medical equipment, to the ability to instantly connect to the healthcare and staff of the Georgetown Public Hospital. As Health Minister Dr. Anthony said:
“With the technology we have now installed, this particular health center has a full complement of internet-enabled devices which we will…be able to do ultrasounds, ECGs, and a whole host of other things to help to assess the patient.”
GALE eClinics replicate the full clinical experience providing and filling the need for both general health and specialty care including prenatal, OBGYN, maternal, cardiac, and chronic condition management. Our partnership goes beyond a one-time fix to a larger problem. With the GALE eClinics, the local communities now have access to more opportunities. Ram Fish, 19Labs CEO, said during the launch:
“This goes even beyond just health care, [this transforms communities]. The equity that it brings to us also opens the eyes of people and places to different cultures, and different ways of doing things…It’s about empowering with technology local young women and men who really become the centers of the communities beyond just health…This is the beginning of a journey...We will expand and work together to really make healthcare equitable across Guyana and beyond.”
See the video of this launch from Guyana’s Department of Public Information:
About 19Labs
19Labs is the creator of GALE, a Next Generation Point-of-Care platform for pharmacies, schools, workplaces, and rural communities. GALE brings together cutting-edge diagnostic technologies from industry leaders like Zoom, Elo, Amwell, Samsung Mobile, MIR, Omron, Viasat, EchoNous, PAP Link, and many others in one smart, efficient, and cost-effective platform. It was designed from the ground up to be operated by non-healthcare professionals in locations with limited infrastructure and optimized for low bandwidth and intermittent connectivity. To learn more about GALE, please visit www.19labs.com.
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