Aster donates tele medicine equipment to Afe Babalola hospital

A renowned health services provider, Aster DM Healthcare of Dubai yesterday donated tele medicine equipment to the Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD)

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Aster Group, Dr. Harish Pillai, said the gesture was to support the state-of-the-art equipment at the hospital.

He described the teaching hospital as one of the best medical facilities on the African continent.

The donation, under the title: Operations and Management Services Agreement, was part of a partnership to curtail medical tourism in Nigeria.

The agreement covers technical, managerial, high and clinical services, as well as training between ABUAD Multi System Hospital and Aster DM Healthcare.

The deal further includes the training and retraining of ABUAD teachers, consultants, nurses and medical laboratory scientists other allied medical professionals.

Pillai, who represented the Chairman of AsterMedicity Hospital, Kochi, Dr. A Moopen, commended Afe Babalola (SAN) for doing so much in his hospital within a short period of time.

With this donation, the teaching hospital could engage in Tele Consulting, Tele Diagnosis and Tele Management.

What it means is that a patient could be in front of the Tele Medicine equipment in Ado-Ekiti, while doctors in Dubai diagnose his/her ailment.

The doctors could also prescribe the appropriate treatment in the right dosage.

He said Aster DM Healthcare would deploy the Chief Operating Officer (COO), as well as involved in operations plans and manpower planning.

The equipment would equally be used in procedures, as consultants in Dubai would see what is going on in any of ABUAD’s five modular theatres and assist in whatever ways possible.

Pillai explained that with the ABUAD Multi System Hospital, there is no reason anybody should travel out of Nigeria for medical care.

Babalola in his response said the agreement yesterday made the day one of the happiest moments in his life and in the life of Nigeria

The partnership also includes supplying of visiting super specialists, conducting of medical missions and collaboration for the management of Nigerian patients undergoing cancer care.

“We will also render neurosurgical services and also bring pediatric surgeons here, so that Nigerian children would no longer be taken abroad for life-saving surgeries,” he said.