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New Telemedicine Activities in the Palestinian Territory
In December 2009 the project Palestinian Telemedicine Network was finished. The main goal of this project was to establish the first National Telemedicine Rehabilitation Network in Palestine, linking the four National Rehabilitation Centres to each other and to relevant rehabilitation competence abroad. The overall goals of the project were reached, but despite this the full potential for telemedicine use was not achieved.
To further develop and sustain the telemedicine services NST applied for funding for a three year project, and in July 2010 the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accepted the application.
Background
A major challenge to the national rehabilitation sector in Palestine is to ensure that existing expertise and services are used optimally and function as a part of a holistic system. The political situation in the area, in particular the presence of roadblocks, difficulty in obtaining travel permits and the building of the separation wall, makes it complicated for professionals of the four rehabilitation centres to meet and to make use of each other’s expertise and experience.
Project description
The project started in September 2010 and ends in August 2013. The first part of the project will focus on technical challenges in terms of access to Internet lines, stability and economics related to this. When the technical tasks are solved, all partners will start working on the content. This means that the project will need to further develop the telemedicine services. Establish additional and sustainable routines for the access and mutual sharing of competence, both locally within their own network and with international partners. One of the major challenges will be to institutionalize the use of the network within the centers, as well as the centers having the technical capacity to utilize and maintain the system. There is also a need for further development of e-learning content and to make this accessible for health personnel working within the rehabilitation field in Palestine, as well as for patients and their families.
The main focus for this project will be:
- Sustain and further develop the existing telemedicine services
- Develop e-learning based on the identified needs
- Further assistance in the implementation of services, helping to sustain and expand the use of the infrastructure.
Partners:
As an institutional capacity building project, the direct target group is the staff of the four rehabilitation centres. The aim of the centres is to provide, whenever possible, specialized services on a short-term basis with the client returning to the CBR system after discharge from the centre.
The four Palestinian rehabilitation centers are:
- Patients Friends Society K. Abu Raya Rehabilitation Centre, Ramallah
- Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre for Disabled Children, Jerusalem
- Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation, Beit Jala
- El Wafa Medical Rehabilitation Hospital, Gaza
In addition to the centers, the project has four partners:
- The Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine (project managment),
- The Norwegian Association of Disabled – Diakonia (NAD/Diakonia)
- Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital (Sunnaas)
Finances:
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs finances the project.
Project period
September 2010 – August 2013
Project manager
Eirik Øvernes, e-mail: eirik.overnes@telemed.no, tel.: + 47 481 33 173.
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