Medicorps Internet Relief Network off the Ground in Cambodia!

Here is a prime example what inexpensive and easy-to-use technology can accomplish in one of the poorest countries of the world: A 6 year old girl comes to the hospital with high fever, shortness of breath and a tender and swollen leg. She gets progressively worse, can hardly breathe, and drifts in and out of consciousness. Despite high doses of antibiotics and IV medications her condition deteriorates progressively, and her mother fears for the worst.

Her doctor, a well-trained pediatrician, but not a heart or lung specialist, calls on Medicorps for assistance. An email with pictures of her condition and x-rays gets routed to a specialist in California who responds within a day. His advice: “Open her chest and heart lining immediately! Open her leg to relieve the pressure from the infection of the veins, and drain all these areas!”

The Cambodian team springs into action. In the operating room yellow pus drains from around the heart. An infected blood clot had spread bacteria to her heart and lungs. A potentially fatal outcome has been averted!

Three weeks later a happy little girl poses for pictures with her mom. Without our specialist’s advice she may not be here today. This is just one example of the cases we send to our volunteer specialists in the U.S. Due to their selfless contributions more lives were saved and disabilities prevented.

 

 

And here is how it works:
This network consists of an Internet connected computer and a digital camera. Physicians confronted with complicated medical/surgical cases write a short English summary of the case and take digital images the pertinent physical findings and supporting diagnostic studies such as x-rays, histology etc. This report is sent as an email with attachments to Medicorps. Medicorps in turn channels the request to a volunteer specialist who emails his impression and treatment recommendation to the requesting physician. From then on both doctors will correspond until the case is resolved. Particularly complicated cases problems can be discussed on a Medicorps forum. All cases are archived.

And here is what we need:
Equipment: Digital cameras and laptop computers. Used ones are o.k.
Volunteers: We need facilitators with medical background on location in Cambodia. These volunteers help the physicians to write reports in proper English and teach them how to use the Internet. The hospitals will provide accommodation. A great medical and cultural experience! We also need physicians back home to route our cases to specialists. A great way to make new friends and be instrumental in changing people’s lives!

And these are the benefits for the participants:
For Cambodia: Increased level of care for the patient · Increased medical, language and IT knowledge for the physician · Shortened hospitalization and lessened health care expense · Decreased disability
For the foreign partner: Personal fulfillment through charitable deeds · Break of the daily routine · Intellectual challenge · Exposure to different cultures · Training of medical students and young physicians Let’s make the world a healthier place!