Kovorridor, Ghana – Charles Ouso Asiko has traveled through Ghana and beyond in search of the care for the great growth of the tissue named Kloid on his neck since 2002. The 46 -year -old has been increasingly frustrated after two unsuccessful surgeries and a trip to South Africa that ended with a consultation only.
Aseku was preparing for another medical trip until late February when he joined others in the first experiment of 3D technology in Ghana, supported by computer screens at the back of the truck.
Those behind this initiative, which was developed by the Microsoft Research Team in partnership with doctors and local researchers, says that the evaluation from a distance will help to provide medical consultations to patients who are waiting for surgery or after the operation, in an area where the doctor’s percentage to the patient is among the lowest level in the world.
The project depends on previous experiments in Scotland and is now working as a portable system with lighting ups and camera upgrades.
Once the truck enters, the cameras will take a three -dimensional model for each patient and then the image is displayed on a large computer screen. Multilateral doctors can join the online counseling session and manipulate the 3D model to evaluate the patient.
“The idea behind the truck is to allow it to travel to these remote villages that do not have specialized care … to perform pre -surgery consulting,” said Spence Fuwaire, the main software developer at Microsoft Research.
The initiative also gives patients the opportunity to get multiple opinions. Aceko’s session had doctors from Rwanda, Scotland and Brazil, an experiment he said gave him hope.
“I see many doctors here and I am very happy because the experience will come from each of them and perhaps they will find a solution to my problem,” said 46 -year -old.
The researchers hope that the trial will be at the Koforida Regional Hospital, in the eastern region of Ghana, is the beginning of a broader project that can expand service and explore new use cases.
Recent years have witnessed the increasing use of the doctor remotely, especially since the Covid-19s. Experts say these digital tools can benefit patients in Africa more than others because there are very few doctors specializing in the continent with a number of 1.4 billion people.
George Oboko, 68, was referred to Corle El Bo Teaching Hospital in the capital, Accra-about 100 km after Kovorida Hospital, which is much closer to his home-where he went for the first time to seek care for sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that develops in bones and soft tissues.
Upon hearing about the experience of three -dimensional remote medicine, his doctor decided to register him in this process, providing him with additional expenses and pressing long -distance travel.
“This time I had to sit in a car and show myself and a condition not only to one doctor but many of them. I managed to answer all their questions and I hope to discuss and my treatment about my condition.” “I feel really good and I am optimistic.”
One of the main challenges of the project is not to reach a stable internet, a common problem in the distant parts of Africa.
At Korle-B Education, technology helps patients who need plastic surgery. The insufficient number of plastic surgeons means that patients often have to consult with different doctors during each visit.
Dr. Kwami Darko, a plastic surgeon consultant in the hospital and one of the main investigators in the project, said that three -dimensional medicine can give patients the opportunity to see several doctors during one session.
3D technology can make a difference if it was repeated in Ghana and other places, according to Dr. Ahman Daspir, the chief doctors residing in the National Plastic Surgery Center and burns in Corle Bo, who was not part of the project.
“We are already late in terms of the number of doctors available to take care of a certain number of population,” he said.
“If someone is in a far part of the city where he cannot access these specialized services, but he needs it, the referral doctor can use this thing remotely to reach the best care.”