SES deploys Satmed e-Health platform on three Friendship floating hospitals in Bangladesh
Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES has deployed Satmed, a new satellite-based e-health platform, as well as launched the first Maritime VSATs on three of Friendship’s floating hospital ships to provide quality healthcare services.
For the launch of these services, Friendship, a non-governmental organisation, received technical assistance from Square Informatix (Bangladesh).
The three floating hospital ships include Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital, Emirates Friendship Hospital and Rongdhonu Friendship (formerly the Rainbow Warrior II) Hospital.
Satmed will allow Friendship to establish communications with national and international doctors from remote areas, to offer medical counselling to marginalised communities via telemedicine and to exchange medical knowledge with local doctors.
The IT enabled cloud infrastructure, Satmed, facilitates data exchanges between professionals and medical frameworks such as electronic medical records and teleradiology systems.
Friendship in Bangladesh founder and executive director Runa Khan said: "The Satmed project is a great illustration of a true partnership between governments, the private sector and NGOs.
"Mutual trust and collaboration can enable innovative steps forward, and lead to deep benefits that impact directly on the beneficiaries.
“Satmed gives us a tool by which we are able to bring in specialised services of e-learning, special doctors, specialised back office resources, decisions of problems and ethical decisions, all this can be centralised and the same message can be given organisation wide.”
It is claimed that the platform is an open, flexible and affordable solution that perfectly fits SES’s range of satellite based e-activities.
Funded by the Luxembourg Government, the project is implemented in cooperation with SES Techcom Services and e-Medical Communication (eMC).
SES Techcom Services managing director Gerhard Bethscheider said: "After implementing SATMED platform tools and services, the ship hospitals, via satellite connectivity, will be able to support and facilitate work in the areas of e-care, e-learning, e-surveillance, e-health management, and digital imaging.
“The Satmed platform makes e-health available, accessible and easy to use, with a goal to increase efficiency in healthcare and in-field health quality for Friendship (the medical community) especially in remote isolated areas.”
