Healthcare - Polycom

London Anaesthetists' Use Polycom Visual Communications Solutions to Deliver Groundbreaking Telemedicine Lectures for Baghdad Doctors

LONDON/SLOUGH, UK - 05 Oct 2009 : Five of London's leading Consultant Anaesthetists were participating in a first-of-its-kind telemedicine lecture series on Thursday (October 1st) for Iraqi health care professionals. In a partnership between British charity International Medical Corps and a new medical education project called Anaesthesia 4 Iraq, a day of lectures has been given from the International Medical Corps offices in Islington to over 100 Iraqi anaesthetists gathered at the National Lecture Theatre in Baghdad, Iraq via telepresence and video systems from Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in telepresence, video and voice communication solutions.

Dr Maan Hasan, Dr Baha Al-Shaikh, Dr Mohammed Al-Sahaf (all originally from Iraq), Dr Neville Robinson and Dr Roger Sharpe are all based in London hospitals and are among the UK's leading anaesthetists. The Iraqi participants - students and specialists in anaesthesia and emergency medicine - are from intensive care, cardiac care and respiratory care units from hospitals in Baghdad, Ramadi, Basra, Erbil and Mosul.

In the last two decades, at least 20,000 of Iraq's 35,000 registered doctors have fled the country, including many of the most senior doctors. Dr Maan Hasan, Consultant Anaesthetist at University College London Hospitals and founder of Anaesthesia 4 Iraq said, "Years of war and economic sanctions have seen Iraq playing catch-up to maintain its medical services, drugs, devices, education and training necessary for high standards of healthcare."

To mitigate the effects of this, International Medical Corps has been running a country-wide Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Professional Development (CME/CPD) programme for physicians and administrators. This two-year effort, which began in late 2007, involves physicians from the US and the UK with different specialties, who travel to Iraq to train their Iraqi counterparts.

International Medical Corps are now expanding the possibilities of this programme by welcoming Anaesthesia 4 Iraq to their London offices to give lectures via Polycom visual communications solutions – allowing some of the UK's leading consultants to conduct lectures without having to travel to Iraq. Polycom visual communications enable healthcare organisations to overcome distance barriers and provide increased efficiencies of operation. These lectures are the beginning of a series of telemedicine and medical education efforts aimed to provide improved medical care for hard to reach and underserved regions.

"We're committed to bringing together the best professionals in anaesthesia and intensive care in the UK and the world," said Dr Hasan. "I hope that this event will provide an inspiration to raise standards of practice, audit, research, and post graduate studies and examination in anaesthesia and intensive care to levels akin to those in the UK, Europe and the US."

Director of International Medical Corps UK, Peter Medway commented, "This initiative has tremendous potential. We are providing Iraqi doctors, thirsty for the latest skills and techniques, with expert guidance from the some of the world's leading anaesthetists. Alongside our previous Continuing Medical Education programmes we hope to make a truly lasting impact on the quality of healthcare in Iraq."

"Polycom is honoured to be a part of such an important programme," said Ray McGroarty, Solutions Marketing Director for Europe, Middle East & Africa at Polycom. "Our high definition telemedicine solutions provide the doctors in London and Iraq a lifelike experience that's almost like being in the same room. As this praiseworthy telehealth programme evolves, we expect the Polycom visual communications offerings to serve as an excellent resource."

NOTES:

International Medical Corps

International Medical Corps are one of the few charities to have worked uninterrupted in Iraq since 2003. This programme is indicative of the way International Medical Corps find ways to work with Iraqi health care workers to strengthen the Iraqi health care system from within. This approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information visit www.imcworldwide.org.uk

Anaesthesia 4 Iraq

Anaesthesia 4 Iraq (A4I) brings the intelligence, innovation, and leadership of the UK Anaesthesia industry together in one place, at one time and delivers this to Iraq through leading edge tele-communication technology. For more information visit www.anaesthesia4iraq.com

Founder of Anaesthesia 4 Iraq

Dr Maan Hasan FRCA

Consultant Anaesthetist, University College London Hospitals

Dr Neville Robinson FRCA

Consultant Anaesthetist, North West London Hospitals, UK

Dr Baha Al-Shaikh, Consultant Anaesthetist, William Harvey Hospital, and Honorary Senior Lecturer at King's College London Medical School

Dr Roger Sharpe, Consultant Anaesthetist and Associate Director of Medical Education, North West London Hospitals

Dr Mohammed Al-Sahaf, Consultant Anaesthetist, Kingston Hospital

Background on health care in Iraq – The 'Brain Drain'

For several decades Iraqi doctors have been isolated from sharing in on the advances and gains in medical practices and public health. What's more, in the last two decades, at least 20,000 of Iraq's 35,000 registered doctors have left the country.

Since 2003

The functional capacity of health care services was further weakened after the war started. Limited and unpredictable supply of electricity and water, as well as general insecurity has created an extremely inhospitable working environment for all health personnel.

Doctor Training Programme

To reverse the problem, International Medical Corps is currently implementing a country-wide Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Professional Development (CME/CPD) programme for physicians and administrators that will develop new national standards.

This two-year effort, which began in late 2007, involves about 45 physicians from the US and the UK with different specialties, who travel to Iraq to train with their Iraqi counterparts. Training courses have been held on modern principles and practices in emergency care medicine, obstetrics, mental health, and management of burn injuries, and reconstructive surgery. Further areas include cardiology, paediatrics, and anaesthesia.

By the end of the programme at least 2,600 Iraqi physicians from all over the country representing a diversity of specialties will have received high quality continuing medical education and continuing professional development through face-to-face training, distance learning, and telemedicine.

This programme opens a window for Iraqi physicians, enabling them to participate in international collaboration, the base for exchanging modern "best practice" medicine worldwide today. It also will contribute to an increased capacity in the Iraqi Ministry of Health, the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education, and Iraqi medical specialties.

About Polycom

Polycom, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCM) is the global leader in telepresence, video, and voice solutions and a visionary in communications that empower people to connect and collaborate everywhere. Visit www.polycom.com for more information and follow us on Twitter @AllAboutPolycom.

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