Ibadan — Indian Government has undertaken to donate a $70 billion medical equipment called "Telemedicine" at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State.

The installation of the equipment is billed to be completed within the next five years.

The coordinator of the project, Sakiat Dutta, said while performing the launch of the $50 million first phase of the project on Wednesday that "the Indian government would maintain the equipment free of charge for a period of five years and also educate doctors and nurses on its proper use".

According to Dutta, when operational, the equipment would put an end to the need to transfer patients abroad for treatment, saying, "the project would enable consultants to be contacted through the internet for the treatment of all kinds of diseases," he said.

Describing it as a landmark achievement in the history of health care delivery in Nigeria, the Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) in charge of special duties, Dr. Tope Alonge, disclosed that the essence of the project "is to assist Nigerian with healthcare delivery."

He stated further, "The major concept of Telemedicine was to ensure that the citizens of any country where such facilities are put in place have full access to medical information, with a guarantee that they may have ready access experts in specialty areas where the country is deficient."