Results of innovative telemedicine system presented with Fundamyf

(Latacunga, September 11, 2009).- In the Room of Honor of the Cotopaxi provincial government, CAF and FUNDAMYF (Andean Family and Woman Foundation) presented the first results of the Telehealth Project signed in 2008. The Project has implemented an innovative telemedicine system in Chimborazo and Cotopaxi provinces which has benefited approximately 5,000 families. In the same ceremony, an agreement was signed with San Francisco University of Quito to set up the Specialist Doctors Network to handle tele-consultations in the localities where the project is being implemented. In addition, a letter of intent was signed with the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS) to make hospitalization available to patients who need it.

The innovative telemedicine system consists of using information and communication technology (ITC) to train women as health promoters to perform diagnosis, treatment and disease control, adapted to their eco-epidemiological situation. The project will benefit 15,000 women from the Randimpak project, jointly financed by CAF, which began in 2002 with the objective of training indigenous and campesino women.

Hermann Krützfeldt, CAF director-representative in Ecuador, said, "CAF is a multilateral development bank whose objective is to expand opportunities and create capacities in low-income populations through community organization. This social responsibility initiative is also linked to other actions we are taking, specifically with the CAF Program to Strengthen Local Opportunities, and the CAF Information and Communication Technology Program, because the aim is to achieve synergy in micro-interventions at local level and generate basic capacities in underprivileged communities in an effort to increase their real opportunities for progress through the use of technology."

María Eugenia Lima, director of FUNDAMYF, said, "the telemedicine system democratizes access to health, while having an impact on reducing mortality in cases where specialized attention is not available."

Photo caption: Room of Honor of the Cotopaxi provincial government in Ecuador Left to right: Dr. Enrique Noboa, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of San Francisco University in Quito; Hermann Krützfeldt, CAF director-representative in Ecuador; and María Eugenia Lima, director of Fundamyf. FUNDAMYF

Fundamyf is an organization which works for a sustainable development model to promote new and equitable relations in gender, ethnic and generational groups, seeking equity in the difference. Fundamyf works with the most vulnerable social groups such as women and ethnic groups in the three regions of the country. For more information visit the webpage www.fundamyf.org