Thank goodness for technology.
Medical apps have proven indispensable for doctors in Syria
SAMYA KULLAB
ISTANBUL — Special to The Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Oct. 02, 2016 8:46PM EDT
Last updated Sunday, Oct. 02, 2016 9:43PM EDT
Babies are cared for every day under Dr. Tiem Shamy’s watch in the Children’s Hospital of Aleppo, a city that has become the focus of fierce fighting in Syria and where hundreds of thousands of civilians have been deprived of water, food and electricity.
The delivery of medical supplies requires passage through a treacherous narrow corridor leading to the Turkish frontier, meaning Dr. Shamy, one of two pediatricians in the besieged city where 120,000 children still live, often does not have the provisions needed for post-natal care. It is not always possible to consult more traditional medical references, so Dr. Shamy says he turns to mobile applications that help health-care professionals around the world share cases.
One such digital platform, Figure 1, was created by a Canadian startup. Users upload cases to the app – usually a picture taken on their smartphone with a short caption – and typically get feedback in 30 minutes from a health-care professional somewhere in the world. A privacy tool ensures cases are safe to share and images are reviewed by moderators to ensure any information regarding identity or location is stripped before they are posted. Users can also request insight from a particular specialist to speed up the process.
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Medical apps have proven indispensable for doctors in Syria
Medical apps have proven indispensable for doctors in Syria
SAMYA KULLAB
ISTANBUL — Special to The Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Oct. 02, 2016 8:46PM EDT
Last updated Sunday, Oct. 02, 2016 9:43PM EDT
Babies are cared for every day under Dr. Tiem Shamy’s watch in the Children’s Hospital of Aleppo, a city that has become the focus of fierce fighting in Syria and where hundreds of thousands of civilians have been deprived of water, food and electricity.
The delivery of medical supplies requires passage through a treacherous narrow corridor leading to the Turkish frontier, meaning Dr. Shamy, one of two pediatricians in the besieged city where 120,000 children still live, often does not have the provisions needed for post-natal care. It is not always possible to consult more traditional medical references, so Dr. Shamy says he turns to mobile applications that help health-care professionals around the world share cases.
One such digital platform, Figure 1, was created by a Canadian startup. Users upload cases to the app – usually a picture taken on their smartphone with a short caption – and typically get feedback in 30 minutes from a health-care professional somewhere in the world. A privacy tool ensures cases are safe to share and images are reviewed by moderators to ensure any information regarding identity or location is stripped before they are posted. Users can also request insight from a particular specialist to speed up the process.
Continue reading at:
Medical apps have proven indispensable for doctors in Syria
