Indonesia developing 'telemedicine'

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is developing a telecommunications network to enable doctors in remote areas to conduct surgery under the guidance of specialists in Jakarta, an official said yesterday.

Head of the Technology and Resources Development Agency at the Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications, Harsono Taroepratjeka, told a seminar in Bandung, West Java, that telesurgery could be applied if operation rooms in remote hospitals were provided with audiovisual devices through which experts could monitor an operation.

He predicted the telemedicine network would be realized as soon as Indonesia completed the Nusantara 21 telecommunications networking project in 2001.

The project will give access to national and global information network systems to all provinces in the country.

Harsono said studies on the telemedicine project were now underway at the Jakarta-based Harapan Kita Hospital and Surabaya- based Dr. Soetomo Hospital along with some universities in Java.

"The ministry of telecommunications is developing the infrastructure but the full application of telemedicine is up to other institutions, including the ministry of health, hospitals and universities," Harsono said.

He called on academics to develop and formulate remote diagnosis methods and medical procedures to correct any mistake found in surgery, Antara reported.

Also speaking at the seminar was the Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto. (amd)