Pakistan’s Al-Shifa Trust has signed an agreement with the Government of Gambia to provide short-term professional training to Gambian doctors.

Deserving patients from Gambia will be offered free treatment.

The Al-Shifa Trust and the Gambia will also work together to offer ophthalmic services via telemedicine facility available at trust’s eye hospitals.

President Al-Shifa Trust Rehmat Khan said the remote delivery of healthcare services over the telecommunications infrastructure will help improve the quality of life of people with no need for an in-person visit. 

Telemedicine allows healthcare providers to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients and it can also be used to take exams, he added.

He said that Al-Shifa will also ensure remote patient monitoring, which is also known as tele-monitoring, that allows patients to be monitored in their homes using mobile devices that collect data about temperature, blood sugar levels, blood pressure or other vital signs.

Khan said that they were pleased to extend our services beyond borders and this new collaboration is the first step in this regard which is very encouraging.

Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital has already decided to expand its outreach to the countries that are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to build their capacity, prevent blindness and provide timely eye care, said Khan.

(The Express Tribune)