AIIMS inks pact with Africa, SAARC nations for teleconsultation

New Delhi, Sep 11 (UNI) In an effort to bring benefits of healthcare and higher education to 53 African countries through use of information technology, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) today signed a Memoranadum of Understanding with Telecommunication Consultant of India Ltd (TCIL), which is a nodal agency for implementing the telemedicine network.

The Institute also signed another agreement for providing teleconsultation to six SAARC countries for providing teleconsulatation and tele-education.

The project, PAN Africa e-network, envisioned by former president A P J Abdul Kalam, is being funded by the Centre and the Ministry of External Affairs has been designated as the nodal agency.

The TCIL's role will be to design the network, procure and install the equipment, provide consultancy to MEA on all matters related to the project, said an AIIMS spokesman.

''It is tentatively planned to reach out to 15 countries in the first eleven months, 20 in the next four months and the balance in another three months,'' he said.

The actual services to Africa and SAARC countries could start as early as October, he said.

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