Lourdes Assists Doctors in Tanzania in Groundbreaking Program
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
In a ground breaking effort to provide education and training to
medical professionals in underdeveloped countries, Dr. Tariq
Gill-Chairman of Radiology at Lourdes Hospital, Brian
Wetzel-Director Diagnostic Imaging and Matt Coletta-PACS
Administrator, recently spent five days in Tanzania presenting
doctors and technicians at Muhimbili University of Health and
Allied Sciences in Tanzania with vital training for radiology
equipment such as MRI, Computerized Tomography, Ultrasound, X-Ray,
and Nuclear Medicine. In a country of more than 40 million, with an
average life expectancy of 51 years, Tanzania has 30 radiologists
to serve the entire country. Equipment and training are a
great need.
This collaborative radiology training program by the
professionals of Lourdes Hospital is the first of its kind.
Additionally, this groundbreaking effort will make it possible for
doctors at Muhimbili Hospital to send images back to Lourdes, where
the joint team of Radiologists Without Borders and Lourdes
doctors will assess the medical images and send the results back to
doctors in Tanzania.
Dr. Gill founded Radiologists without Borders about 1 ½
years ago as a non-profit, volunteer organization to offer services
to underdeveloped countries, via teleradiology, and is
collaborating with Humanity First to gain access and permission to
the countries that need the services and training the most.
Lourdes Hospital, along with Humanity First and Ascension Health
became involved to provide education and to obtain equipment to
donate to these countries and offer services.
Ongoing training and lectures will be developed and arranged as
new equipment and technology become available. Efforts are underway
to extend similar services to other countries in Africa, Honduras,
and Haiti.
