Doctors from the National Hospital of Paediatrics learn about the online consultancy process on Telehealth system that was put into operation on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The National Hospital of Paediatrics on Friday officially put a system of remote healthcare consultation and support (Telehealth) into operation.

Telehealth is expected to serve the examination, diagnosis and treatment for child patients and online training for grassroots health workers.

From the hospital-based Operating Centre, doctors will connect with six sites to give advice and consultancy.

Doctors in Hà Nội will give suitable advice to newborn care rooms in the northern mountainous province of Sơn La’s Sốp Cộp District General Hospital; and ultrasound, consultation and cardiovascular intervention for babies with congenital heart disease in Quảng Ninh Province’s Maternity Hospital.

Hà Nội doctors also will discuss and share analysis with the maternity-paediatrics centre of Phú Thọ General Hospital about cases related to congenital oesophageal atrophy.

They are going to help colleagues in Maternity-Paediatric hospitals in Bắc Ninh and Hà Nam on consultation and analysis of anatomical results and analysing emergency cases.

Prof. Lê Thanh Hải, director of the National Hospital of Paediatrics, said that with the application of the Telehealth system, the doctors wish to support colleagues at local health centres to improve professional qualifications and skills.

Through the support and experience sharing, doctors with experience in the field of paediatrics want to assist grassroots hospitals’ colleagues in handling difficult and complex cases, said Hải.

“It also thereby gradually improves the quality of child healthcare in the grassroots medical system.”

He said the hospital’s Telemedicine system for training and guidance was started more than ten years ago.

However, at that time, the online infrastructure didn’t meet the requirements and came at a high cost, so the implementation was temporarily shelved.

The hospital has prepared the best infrastructure, human resources to implement the Telehealth system in response to requirements of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health.

The hospital director said these are also the first test steps on a long journey towards improving the quality of maternal and child healthcare in the community through consultation, examination, training and skill transfer activities.

The system is owned by Viettel Business Solutions Corp.

Being applied at the National Hospital of Paediatrics is an important step to help replicate the Telehealth model in medical examination, counselling, diagnostic support and training for the grassroots health centres in the future. — VNS