Jaroka, Tele-healthcare, Affordable healthcare for rural Pakistan

Cybernet Installs Satellite at UM Healthcare Trust

2008-06-22T08:14:00.005+06:00

So it is official now. Cybernet, Pakistan's largest Internet Service Provider, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility, has donated dedicated internet access via VSAT Satellite to UM Healthcare Trust's medical hospital in remote village of Zahidabad, Mardan District, NWFP, Pakistan.

The satellite based internet access will enable us to run Tele-healthcare services in collaboration with APPNA doctors in the USA as well as perform analysis on medical records to track pandemic diseases in real time using NUST's SUN based cluster for high performance computing.

This is yet another positive step towards the realization of extending affordable healthcare to the rural and needy population of Mardan District using ICT.

Cybernet and UM Healthcare Trust will be replicating this tele-healthcare services at other medical facilities in rural areas as well and connecting them with specialists and doctors in the cities.

Free Medical Camp in Rural Mardan

2008-06-09T14:51:00.006+06:00

This past weekend, (May 31, 2008) UM Healthcare Trust (our nonprofit organization for healthcare in Pakistan) organized an extremely successful free medical camp for the poor and needy at remote Village of Zahidabad in rural Mardan District, NWFP.

Patients had begun flocking the facility from early in the morning and continued to come till late in the evening. In all, over 180 patients were treated by specialists for mother and child health related diseases. The doctors who had driven specially to Mardan from Lahore to partake in this endeavor were extremely pleased with the outcome. "We shall be back again with even more doctors in the coming future" mentioned Dr. Muzammil Zaidi (Pediatrician).

Free medicines were also distributed among the needy patients.

Such medical camps will now become a regular feature of UM Healthcare Trust "Healthcare Outreach Program". The last Saturday of each month is now designated as "Free Camp Weekend". Hence, if any doctor/nurse wants to donate their time and effort, please let us know and we would be happy to schedule you in.

Event in Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/mumtaz.atif/FreeMedicalCamp

The project got funded!

2008-02-17T13:41:00.004+05:00

So this has just been confirmed. The Jaroka tele-health project, that we are developing has received further boost as it successfully received joint grant funding from USAID and HEC. Our's was one of the 19 applications that got funded from a pool of 116. The funding is for two years, commencing from April 1, 2008 to develop and deploy the Jaroka tele-health system for rural Mardan district (NWFP, Pakistan) and for capacity building of local healthcare professionals including Lady Health Workers. The project will also deploy Pakistan's first mobile based tele-health services in rural Pakistan. Once successful, it will be replicated in other parts/districts of Pakistan.

The project provides financial support to procure medical equipment, essential hardware to run tele-health services and even covers the salaries of two medical doctors and other healthcare professionals..

Our partners in this grant are APPNA, NUST, UM Healthcare Trust and Cogilent Solutions.

Give Peace a Chance through Health, Education and Entrepreneurship

2008-01-13T23:53:00.000+05:00

I received some valuable feedback from readers on my earlier blog titled, Give youth a chance. Therefore, I am now revising and expanding the blog and have added a few more sections to clarify my point of view. So please keep those comments/feedback coming.

The health, education and employment statistics of Pakistan in general and NWFP province in particular are nothing short of a disaster. These numbers are further worsened by the influx of millions of Afghan refugees who have made the NWFP province their home for the past three decades or so.

NWFP or North West Frontier Province is the smallest of the four provinces of Pakistan, which has a population of about 20 million people and covers an area of 75,000 square kilometers. It borders Afghanistan to the west, Punjab and Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan to the south and Azad Kashmir to the east. It also encompasses Federally Administered Tribal Areas, FATA as an autonomous region within NWFP. The current war on terror waged by the coalition forces in the neighboring Afghanistan, usually spills into this province as well. At the time of writing of this blog, Pakistan armed forces were busy pursuing Talibans within the FATA and Swat district of NWFP in a heavy military campaign.

Table 1: Pakistan Health Indicators (Source United Nations)

Pakistan’s health infrastructure is also poor, especially in rural areas. Almost 30% of children under the age of five are malnourished. There are approximately 70 physicians for every 100,000 people in the country and a mere 1,000 government run hospitals to cater to the entire population. It is no wonder that 70% of the population of Pakistan (WHO statistic) never gets to see a doctor in their entire life. For a country of 160 Million people, that is a gigantic population (almost 110 million) without access to basic healthcare.

Table 2: Population Statistics of Pakistan & NWFP (Source Government of Pakistan)

The north of the Pakistan suffers from heavy unemployment as well. Major source of jobs in NWFP includes agriculture, mining of precious stones, granite/marble quarries, and government jobs. Other than these, there are hardly any sustainable job opportunities for the youth. The industrialization and economic uplift that we get to see in major metropolitan cities like Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad is totally non-existent here. In other words, the economic boom (that has griped the urban centers of the country) has had little impact on the rural communities.

Table 3: Education Statistics of Pakistan & NWFP population in percentage (Source: Govt of Pakistan)

The government school system in the rural areas has also not grown over the years. In fact, it is straining under the pressure of over population (the population has doubled since 1981 census from 80million to 160millon today). Almost 47% of the population of NWFP is under the age of 15 that is a staggering 8 million children (Source Govt of Pakistan). The private schools are too expensive and therefore the local communities can hardly afford to send their children to such institutions. With the result, an uneducated population grows up that has no real prospect of securing jobs even in the more competitive bigger cities. Those who still want to get an education then prefer to enroll in the local religious schools called, Madrassas, which offer free room and board as well as their brand of religious philosophy.

With no employment, no healthcare and no prospects of a better life, many of the talented, prefer to emigrate or work abroad especially in the Middle East. They spend years toiling in the heat of the desert without seeing their families for years while sending back precious dinars/dollars so that their kids could one day have a better life. But not all are lucky to find a job locally or go abroad. Those with no sustained income usually end up being pulled into the lucrative illegal drug trafficking between the Afghanistan and Pakistan border areas. Or as it is now commonly happening, become members of some radical religious organization, including Talibans.

These youths are victim of their environment and society. If we want them to succeed and give up drug trade and put down their AK-47s and suicide bombings then we need to give them what is their basic right as a human being. Namely, a chance for a better education, improved health care and ability to become entrepreneurs (or have secure jobs). No amount of carpet bombing or military actions can stop them from becoming radical. But a book, a job and better health can transform them and their families forever.

I only became aware of this appalling situation once we had started establishing a free hospital in NWFP province under UM Healthcare Trust in the outskirts of Mardan District (near the Swat Valley). As we meet and interact more with the local community, it becomes only clear that war is not the solution to all the problems. Edhi Foundation, Greg Mortenson's Central Asia Institute, The Citizen's Foundation and many other such non-profits believe that the world can be a better place if we just give youth a chance and give them an opportunity to make something of themselves. Sadly, this logic and insight is lost on the current leaders of the world who are bent upon changing the world with their might, bombs and cruise missiles. Their philosophy of “smoking” the enemy out has not been successful in making the world a better and safer place and is not likely to have any sustained impact either. Only education, health and entrepreneurship can make the difference.

Therefore, I request all to write to their Members of Parliament, Senators, Congressmen, your MNAs and MPAs and ask them that they have done enough to wage war on the world, now what are they doing to bring peace to the society.

Give youth a chance

2008-01-11T06:22:00.000+05:00

The health statistics of the whole province (North West Frontier Province, NWFP) are nothing short of a health disaster. These numbers are further worsened by the influx of millions of Afghan refugees who have made the province their home for the past three decades or so. We, as part of UM Healthcare Trust, are involved in building a free hospital for the rural community of the Mardan District and also a site for our Tele-healthcare initiative.

Location	District Mardan, NWFP, Pakistan
Populationon	1.6 Million
District Hospitals	2
Basic Health Units	50
Infant Mortality Rate	76/1000 child births
Maternal Mortality	201/1000 live births

For a population of over 1.6 million in Mardan District, there are just 2 district hospitals with a less than hundred beds. The Basic Health Units (BHUs) are one room clinics and if operational (usually they are locked with no one on duty) sometimes manned by a doctor or a healthcare professional. The primary purpose of these units is to provide vaccinations (especially to children) and occasional trainings on preventive medicine (to the rural population). It is no wonder that 70% of the population of Pakistan (WHO statistic) never gets to see a doctor in their entire life. For a country of 160 Million people, that is a gigantic population (almost 110 million) without access to basic healthcare.

The north of the Pakistan suffers from heavy unemployment as well. Major source of jobs in NWFP includes agriculture, mining of precious stones, granite/marble quarries, and government jobs. Other than these, there are hardly any other job opportunities for the youth. The industrialization and economic uplift that we get to see in major metropolitan cities like Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad is totally non-existent here. In other words, the economic boom (that has griped the urban centers of the country) has had little impact on the rural communities.

The government school system in the rural areas has also not grown over the years. In fact, it is straining under the pressure of over population. The private schools are too expensive and therefore the local communities never send their children to study. With the result, an uneducated population grows up that has no real prospect of securing jobs even in the more competitive bigger cities. Those who still want to get an education then prefer to enroll in the local religious schools called, madarasas.

But not all are lucky to find a job locally or go abroad. Those with no sustained income usually end up being pulled into the lucrative drug trade between the Afghanistan and Pakistan border areas. Or as it is now commonly happening, become members of some radical religious organization.

These youths are victim of their environment and society. If we want them to succeed and give up drug trade and put down their AK-47s and suicide bombings then we need to give them what is their basic right as a human being. Namely, a chance for a better education, improved healthcare and ability to become entrepreneurs (or have secure jobs). No amount of carpet bombing or military actions can stop them from becoming radical. But a book, a job and better health can transform them and their families forever.

Edhi Foundation, Central Asia Institute, The Citizen's Foundation and many other such non-profits believe that the world can be a better place if we just give youth a chance. Sadly, this doctrine is lost on the current leaders of the world who are bent upon changing the world with their might, bombs and cruise missiles.

One Man's Mission to Promote Peace

2007-12-13T15:45:00.000+05:00

Greg Mortenson is an American hailing from small town of Bozeman, Montana. Yet, he is one of the most revered personalities in Northern Pakistan. In the past fifteen years that he has worked in the Baltistan and NWFP region (Northern Pakistan bordering Afghanistan to the west, China to the North and India to the east), he has impacted the society in a way no other foreigner has been able to do for the last two millennium. He has given the children of Northern Pakistan a unique gift that their ancestors never had. Education. Building over 63 schools at the roof of the world and in the shadow of K2, the world's second tallest mountain, he has transformed the lives of villagers and especially women through his Central Asian Institute (CAI).

His story as chronicled in Three Cups of Tea, One Man's mission to promote peace, one school at a time, (http://www.threecupsoftea.com), is of remarkable courage, determination and single minded focus is nothing short of a Hollywood saga. It all began in 1993 when he decided to climb K2, the world's most difficult peak to scale. On his way back from the unsuccessful attempt, he lost his way and almost froze to death on the rugged mountain. However, by stroke of luck, he was able to stumble upon a remote village, Korphe (which did not exist on any maps at the time). The inhabitants were extremely hospitable and nursed the big burly mountaineer back to health. Moved by their kindness, he promised to build a school for them.

He returned to California, and with no money in his pockets or in the bank, was faced with the prospect of not being able to keep the promise for the villagers of Korphe. And thus began the saga and the legend of Greg Mortenson. Living almost at the edge of poverty, and saving every penny that he earned, for the promised school in the remotest part of the world, he ventured on a journey that continues to this day. His CAI (Greg Mortenson is the co-founder with Dr. Jean Hoerni and Executive Director of nonprofit Central Asia Institute http://www.ikat.org) institute has brought more positive impact and good name for USA in Taliban infested region, than anything that the American President has done with his official propaganda and development programs. His schools that cost one-fifth of what World Bank would spend and half of what the Government of Pakistan allocates enroll over thirty thousand students all over.

Girls in CAI sponsored schools

Truly, he is one of the greatest social entrepreneurs the world has ever seen. Someone who should be nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work.

DHL YES Awards Results

2007-09-02T23:43:00.000+05:00

The results are in. I secured 2nd Runner's up prize for the DHL YES Awards for Young Social Entrepreneur of 2007 in the nationwide competition in Pakistan for my Jaroka, Tele-health project that I have been pursuing.

The DHL YES Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the contribution of young individuals who are evolving existing and/or using new innovative methods to bring about positive social change in their communities.

DHL has put together a case study document of all social entrepreneurs who received the DHL YES Awards. Please read the case study document to find out more about these outstanding individuals and their work.

Please click here to see the pictures from the award ceremony on August 24, 2007 in Karachi, Pakistan.

A Saint Among Us

2007-07-06T11:54:00.000+05:00

It were the mid 1980s. I was not yet a teenager. And one warm night in Lahore, I listened to this elderly man, give a passionate speech. He sported a long white beard and wore ragged black kamiz shalwar, and in a soft but stern voice, he declared, “I will build a network of health centers over the 1500 km main highway connecting Karachi to Peshawar. And after every 50 kilometers there will be a small basic health center manned by an ambulance. These services are for all mankind free of cost.”

Everyone around me had incredulous looks.
“It cannot be done!”
“It cannot be managed!”
“It will be a white elephant!”

The cries could be heard from every nook and corner of the country. After all, he relied only on charity and that too from individuals. He had no personal sources of financing this ambitious project, nor did he have backing of a large corporation. Not even the government, not at least financially. How can he do it?

Yet, his humble but determined personality and a strong conviction of his ideals made me wonder, can he really do it?

In between that some twenty odd years have passed. And since that time, the world around us has changed for the good. And today, if you drive along the Grand Trunk Road in Pakistan, you will notice small but clearly marked health centers every 50 kilometers which are manned by volunteers and notice a small ambulance parked outside. In fact, his ambitious and grand project has gone beyond the Grand Trunk Highway in Pakistan. His established network now owns and manages over 700 ambulances which also includes two airplanes and helicopters. His vast network of ambulances on average transports over 1 million people annually in Pakistan alone and is extremely critical for rual communities considering that 70% of Pakistanis do not have access to a doctor. And all of it is being sustained by, now get this, by individual donors and charity given by folks like you and me. Yes, no corporate schmoozing involved! Today, it is ranked as the largest free ambulance service in the world. And the man, rather a modern day Saint, who made this dream possible is Abdul Sattar Edhi.

Edhi Center with an ambulance parked outside

His Edhi Foundation, (established in 1951 in the city of Karachi, Pakistan) seems to be breaking all the norms of what we have been taught about raising funds for the non-profit sector. There are no elaborate business plans. Nor any documents being submitted for funding to any world bodies. There are no stunning power point presentations pushing their vision onto the donors baskets. None of that at all. He has one simple plan. Do something good for the humanity.

He and his wife, Mrs Bilquees Edhi, are always at the forefront themselves. Always leading by example and in times of disasters, always there even before the likes of Red Cross, United Nations or Governments themselves. And it is not just the foundation and volunteers who get there first, it is Mr. Edhi and his wife who are the first to reach the site of the disaster, be it at any part of Pakistan, and at times in the world. And to see him work day and night and live among the victims where he eats, sleeps and works humbles us all. Here is a saint, nay, someone far greater.

The gentle folks of Pakistan and from neighboring countries donate in droves. His network never runs out of money and his ambulances are never without gas or spare parts. They service a community whom the world in general and the local government in particular has forgotten. His army of volunteers can be marshaled at a minutes notice without the need of elaborate communication mechanism. And together, they are changing the way care is provided to the needy. His actions and plans are redefining the non-profit sector and hopefully for the good.

Today, Edhi foundation is the most trusted name in Pakistan when it comes to donation. Almost every penny is spent on the poor with hardly any overheads. Edhi foundation is a non-profit organization that specializes in providing medical care, emergency and relief services, air ambulances, burial services, mental habitats, old homes, child welfare services, abused women safe houses and training facilities for the disadvantage.

He is an inspiration to millions like me. He had a vision and backed it up with his unwavering determination. He believes in the general good among us all. And we believe in what he can deliver and donate to his work in hoards. He has proven by example how unexpected things can be achieved.

For more information about Edhi or his foundation, check out the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edhi_Foundation
http://www.edhifoundation.com/

Finalist in DHL YES Awards for Social Entrepreneurship

2007-06-06T14:16:00.000+05:00

This year (2007), DHL has launched the DHL Young Entrepreneurs for Sustainability Awards (DHL YES Awards) for Asia Pacific region. The goal of the award is to identify and recognise the contributions of young people who are implementing new and innovative methods and practices to bring about positive social change in their communities. Such young individuals are usually referred to as 'social entrepreneurs'.

The inaugural DHL YES Awards take place in 2007 in five countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

I also submitted my Tele-healthcare Jaroka project to this competition. After the preliminary interviews, project document submissions, and presentations, I have been informed that I have made it among the finalists in Pakistan. This in itself is a great achievement and recognition of the innovative work done by Tele-healthcare team in Pakistan.

The DHL appointed jury shall now decide upon the final winner from Pakistan who will then compete with the winners from the rest of the region for the regional award.

Invitation to Attend IDC Conference

2007-04-03T06:53:00.000+05:00

I have been invited to attend the IDC 2007 Conference at Harvard University as a panelist. I will be part of the technology and healthcare panel. The panel will discuss and explore the innovations in providing access to healthcare.

The other fellow panel members are:

Rahul Tongia, Carnegie Mellon University, Professor Engineering and Public policy, Moderator
Jorge Briones, Partner, Deloitte Mexico
Atif Mumtaz, Research Fellow and Project Manager (Stanford Tele-healthcare, Reuters Digital Vision Program)
Ian Rawson, Board Chair-Hopital Albert Schweitzer Haiti
Naeem Rizwan, Associate Professor Baylor College of Medicine

The details of the conference can be found on their official website, of the 13th International Development Conference at Harvard University.

Stanford University and NIIT Collaboration

2007-03-16T05:29:00.000+05:00

NUST Institute of Information technology (NIIT) and Stanford University, USA are currently collaborating on Tele-healthcare initiative of Reuters Digital Vision Program (DVP). DVP is geared to bringing together people engaged in developing technology-based solutions to address humanitarian, educational, and sustainable development issues.

Mr. Atif Mumtaz is the proposer and initiater of Jaroka, Tele-healthcare for rural communities, one of the major ongoing DVP projects. Jaroka is a web-based tele-healthcare portal that enables clinicians operating in rural and disaster-affected communities to rapidly access expert advice and opinions from specialists around the world. NIIT has formed a dedicated team comprising its faculty members and young students to make this project a viable success. The project is progressing under the supervision of Dr. Arshad Ali (Director General NIIT). Actively associated with the project are Dr. Amir Shafi, Mr. Adnan Iqbal, Ms. Shamila Keyani, and a dedicated band of NIIT students. The project team is now working towards telemedicine initiative within the NIIT premises. Seminars on relevant topics are held every Wednesday and progress of the students is monitored on a regular basis. NIIT has been able to persuade Army Medical College (AMC) to institute their first medical collaboration with NIIT and Stanford.

NUST Institute of Information Technology is committed to putting forth a novel and stimulating research idea and an equally conducive research environment for its incubation and fruition. The main impetus behind this effort and commitment is the passion to pursue projects bearing on fulfillment of high-value social and national needs in the commercially competitive world of today. NIIT-Stanford collaboration is destined to greatly facilitate development of cutting edge technology in the field of Tele-health care.

Penetration of ICT in Rural Communities

2006-06-10T06:47:00.000+05:00

If we build cool and cheap devices would rural communities use them? Would US$100 laptop make a difference in their lives? Can we increase the usage of computers in rural societies from nearly zero to over 50% in the coming 10 years? These are some of the questions being pondered by the world leaders and technologists.

There have been many buzz words and slogans in the past. Including the other much hyped US$30 mobile phone. But little does anyone realize that such slogans and targets are nothing but marketing gimmicks. These are to attract large donors to fund schemes of no consequence. It is quite clear that the mobile phone revolution has swept the world without the need for US$30 hand-sets. Kenya, Pakistan, India and many other countries are seeing unbelieveable growth rates without the introduction of any cheap mobile phone sets.

Hailing from Pakistan, I have eye witnessed the revolution taking the country by storm. It is amazing to see that Pakistan is adding over 2 million new subscribers each month (source Pak Telecom Authority www.pta.gov.pk). The tele-density in Pakistan stood at 0.28% in 2000. In less than six years, it stands at over 17% with over 30 million mobile users (as of June 06). The number is likely to double by mid next year to over 50 million users in the country. That is a phenomenal growth rate i.e. almost 100% annually. And the most remarkable thing for Pakistan, the 6^th most populous country in the world, is that one in three in the country would carry a cell phone by June 2007. That is an extremely large number of users by any definition of mobile usage for any developing country. Yes, last year, Pakistan was the second fastest growing mobile market after China. This year, the trend is likely to hold again. This is similar in other developing economies as well.

All this revolution without the need for US$30 mobile set. How come? The answer is simple. Used and refurbished mobiles. They can be found on the streets for as little as US$5 to US$20. They work great and are from branded manufacturers. Therefore, the need to build cheap mobiles is moot. People tend to always go for used items. They still buy branded sets like Nokia and others at a fraction of the cost of the brand new model. And even if we make the new sets cheaper, they would only go and buy the used versions at even cheaper prices for their personal use.

Therefore, the idea and concept of US$100 laptops, US$30 mobile phones and connecting half the world to the Internet within a decade are nothing but academic and are detached from reality.

Jaroka, Tele-healthcare participates in IDEAS Competition

2006-05-04T18:38:00.000+05:00

Jaroka, Tele-healthcare project participated in the IDEAS competition at MIT. The IDEAS Competition encourages student teams to develop and implement projects that make a positive change in the world. The project was one of the few cross collaboration between Stanford University and MIT.

The competition gave us a unique insight of how other students were developing ideas to bring about social change in the developing world. It also brought us in contact with other fellow students with like minded ideas.

Skardu Telemedicine

2006-04-15T07:08:00.000+05:00

Tele-healthcare's jaroka project, in collaboration with APPNA, Digital Vision Program at Stanford University and COMSATS have initiated a pilot project for testing and studying the prospects of managing a remote telemedicine center with specialists located in the USA. The remote health facility is located in Skardu Pakistan, a remote town in the Himalayan mountainous region of Pakistan.

The details of the project can be found on Tele-healthcare website under Skardu Project.

It should be noted that this is Pakistan's first Tele-medicine project which connected patients in a rural Skardu with international specialists in Boston, USA.

Construction of UM Healthcare Hospital

2006-03-30T23:42:00.000+05:00

The construction of the UM Healthcare hospital is underway in the village Zahidabad. This hospital is being built on a four kanal land in Mardan District of NWFP (North West Frontier Province) and is a ray of hope for the rural community. The village is 180KM North of Islamabad, Pakistan.

The basic statistics of the district include:

Population: 1.6 Million people

District Hospitals: 2

Basic Health Units: 50

Infant Mortality Rate: 76/1000 child births

Maternal Mortality Rate: 201/1000 live births

Earthquakes and Aftershocks

2006-03-25T07:48:00.000+05:00

I landed safely in Pakistan after a 36-hour journey from San Francisco to Islamabad, Pakistan on March 19. This is my first visit to my home country after the devastating earthquake in October 2005. Just a few hours after my arrival, the northern Pakistan, including, Islamabad was shaken with yet another moderate earthquake of 5.0 magnitude. Even though there were no deaths or destructions reported this time, but it is a reminder that I have arrived in the earthquake active zone. Already, there have been over 1780 aftershocks that have been felt through the region since the devastating earthquake in October 2005. Last week, an earthquake of 5.2, had caused the death of at least one individual and injury to 16 people in Pakistan’s Kashmir region.

Tech Nation with Dr. Moira Gunn

2006-03-15T12:37:00.000+05:00

Tech Nation will broadcast interviews of the select few Reuters Digital Vision Fellows on March 21st, 2006. The weekly National Public Radio program is hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. It focuses on impact of technology in the lives of individuals.

Stuart Gannes, the Director of the Reuters Digital Vision Program at Stanford University, as well as this year’s Digital Vision Fellows talk about global projects with a humanitarian bent – from citizen journalism on simple cellphones, to tele-healthcare for developing nations, and multimedia for the street kids of Rio.

Devastation in Pakistan

2005-10-09T10:02:00.000+05:00

Earthquake has shaken the country to its core. More than 20,000 are feared dead and the toll is rising. This is by far the severest quake in the history of Pakistan registering 7.6 on the rector scale. The Northern Pakistan including the capital, Islamabad are devastated. Many small towns and villages have been flattened to the ground. And landslides as a result of series of earthquakes have washed away roads thus making it inaccessible for rescuers to get anywhere in time. Pakistan is going through one of its worst disasters ever.

Fazal Elahi, an elderly man in town of Mansehra (North of Pakistan) had to travel 46km to reach a hospital to get treatment for himself and his injured family. He had to traverse through roads washed out by land slides and pass through flattened villages and cities. When he did reach the hospital, he found 8 doctors administering over 800 patients who were streaming from all over to get some help. His daughter could not make it through and died before they reached the hospital.

The story is repeated again and again and the devastation just continues. More closer to my home, in Islamabad, an apartment complex collapsed into a rubble trapping many inside. The complex was less than a mile from my home and cause of great concern for me. In fact, I have friends living there and am deeply worried for their welfare. I did get a chance to talk to Khadijja, my ex-colleague from United Nations. She mentioned that her family is safe but the apartment and everything inside is gone. Her brother, Shahnawaz, who was in the apartment at the time, (on 10^th floor) ran out as soon as the tremors began. He saw the whole structure collapse with his own eyes.

I think it is high time we put technology to work. With no doctors and health facilities how can we expect the poor to get any help. With roads being washed out by landslides, how can the rescuers get to the needy in time. Technology, is one solution that can get them healthcare when it is needed. It may not be a solution to all the problems, but it is a start. A promising start, that may one day make disaster relief quicker and more effective. Be it New Orleans, or Islamabad. Be it Baghdad or London, we need technology to assist us in helping the victims of natural disasters.

What is Jaroka?

2005-09-23T05:48:00.000+05:00

Our mission is to develop and deploy an affordable, sustainable, easily replicative internet based Tele-medicine healthcare system through which patients in rural Pakistan are connected with doctors and specialists in the cities for diagnosis and treatment. This way we can reduce the untimely deaths, complications and increase prevention of pandemic diseases in rural areas.

Why Jaroka?

70% of Pakistanis get their health care needs through Lady Health Workers (LHW) rather than a doctor. LHW are local women, who are provided basic health care training by the government or United Nations, residing in villages. Each woman, on average, serves a community of 1000 citizens.

There are 5,000 BHUs in Pakistan that serve as the clinics for rural Pakistan. These centers may or may not have a full-time doctor and are usually staffed only by a pharmacist or a nurse. Nevertheless, these centers are the first level of contact with medical facilities beyond LHW.