Category: Health & Environment
Emeka Okwara Launches http://www.mylivemd.com/
Emeka Okwara, a Nigerian Tech Executive in the United States launches innovative “LiveMD” Platform for patients in developing countries to search for and receive expert, highly-specialized care from licensed doctors around the world, by phone, video or text.
Patients can use the site (www.mylivemd.com) to search for doctors by specialty, qualification, language, patient ratings, and location. Then they can communicate directly with those doctors for a nominal fee.
Patients in developing countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and India routinely have to travel hours to a hospital or clinic, even for a non-life threatening emergency. Once they arrive they still have to wait for hours, just to talk to a doctor for a few brief minutes, and they pay a very high cost for that consultation. But with LiveMD, they can conveniently speak to a licensed, qualified doctor who gives them their full attention. Plus patients can do it at any time, from the comfort of their home or office, using a phone or computer. As Emeka Okwara, Founder and CEO of LiveMD, explains, “A patient in Lagos, Nigeria can talk to a cardiologist in the United States for the same amount they will spend on a plate of rice.”
Communication between doctors and patients can be done by phone, video chat, or text, or the patient can schedule a face-to-face appointment if that is preferable. LiveMD connects patients with doctors from the USA, UK, and other parts of the world without incurring any prohibitive long distance charges, and the entire LiveMD platform is localized to support all countries, time zones, and currencies. Payments to doctors can be processed safely and instantly via PayPal with all major credit cards, in more than 200 countries, including developing nations. All patient information is also carefully guarded with robust security protocols to ensure full compliance with HIPAA regulations.
Okwara, an accomplished technology executive, has spent almost two decades in the United States leading the delivery of world-class, multi-million dollar tech initiatives for companies including IBM, AT&T, and Delta Airlines. But to him the launch of LiveMD is also based on a personal passion to give back to communities in need. “I was raised in Nigeria,” he says, “and while living in the USA I have made significant contributions in industries including telecommunications, health care, and computer technology. Now my mission is to ensure that people living in Africa and other developing countries also have access to the best, state-of-the-art health care.”
LiveMD is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA but serves patients in developing countries. Licensed doctors wishing to join the LiveMD Global Medical Provider Network and offer medical consultation services to patients may submit applications at the LiveMD Website (www.mylivemd.com).
Dayo Olakulehin Designs Novel Ventilator [2016]
Dayo Olakulehin, the CEO of LigandCorp has developed a prototype of an innovative portable, battery-powered ventilator designed to assist unconscious patients breathe.
Manufactured in Canada, the innovation has been described by the Head of the Emergency Department at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, as “a critical device that will significantly reduce infant and adult mortality rates and perhaps, the best thing to happen to resuscitation care in our environment.”
The novel medical device with the potential to save millions of lives all over the world, is the brainchild of Dayo Olakulehin, who in 2012, during his housemanship at the LUTH, had an idea for a medical device that could potentially save millions of lives worldwide. For four months, Dayo and his team worked relentlessly to develop the affordable device. Three years later, he founded LigandCorp, an organisation devoted to developing and promoting innovative medical devices that will create lasting health solutions in Africa and other developing nations.
LigandCorp’s innovation is expected to cost $300 apiece. Conventional ventilators cost $30,000 while low cost alternatives, which are still under development, are to sell for about $3,000.
CradleCount
LASUTH Performs First Kidney Transplant [2015]
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), has recorded a successful kidney transplant on a 56-year-old man in Lagos. The life-saving procedure which took two and half hours was the first of its kind in the tertiary institution.
Speaking on the feat, the elated Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Wale Oke, said the successful kidney transplant was part of the state government’s promises to deliver excellent healthcare services to the people of Lagos State.
Oke revealed that prior to the surgery, several consultations were made to ensure that the patients were well selected to avoid complications after the exercise.
In his words:
“But thank God today, both the donor and recipient are in sound health.”
The Chief medical Director who assured Lagosians that the hospital would continue to bring such services in-country.
Speaking, leader of the transplant team, a Consultant Nephrologist, Dr. Jacob Awobusuyi, said the initiative was conceived three years ago. Awobusuyi explained that gaining the confidence of the patients was very tough but after the operation, they were both excited.
“Before the operation, both the 56-year-old recipient and the 26-year-old donor who was the patient’s nephew expressed concern. But after the operation they were both fine.”
Bloodless Urine Malaria Test (UMT)
Scientists working in Nigeria have developed a new laser test that can detect malaria in humans within minutes with a simple urine test without drawing blood.
Current malaria testing methods requires piecing the with a needle to draw blood but the new urine malaria test (UMT), developed by Fyodor Biotechnologies, doesn’t require use of blood.
The fast, non-invasive test can detect malaria in both humans and mosquitoes. It has advantages over current techniques because it does not depend on blood sampling, reagents, facilities or trained personnel. The simplicity – it can be operated by non-medical personnel – and sensitivity of the test mean it could be a low-cost, safe and universal tool for clinical and field diagnoses.
Speaking at the launch of UMT in Abuja, Dr Victoria Enwemadu, Fyodor’s global head of projects, said “There are some challenges with adopting that [national malaria testing] guideline mainstream because of the invasiveness of trying to get blood for testing. Now we have made it easier by just using urine to test for malaria.”
NAFDAC Receives GACG Anti-Counterfeiting Award
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has emerged the winner of this year’s Global Anti-Counterfeiting award by the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group (GACG). The award is in recognition of the Agency’s commitment to the fight against fake drugs and counterfeiting of regulated products.
According to a statement by NAFDAC public relations officer (PRO), Mr.. Anslem Okonkwor, the award which was presented to the agency recently at the Annual Interpol Ip Crime Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was in appreciation of the many innovations especially the cutting-edge technologies the Agency has introduced in the fight against counterfeiting.
The Chairman of the GACG, Mr. John Anderson while presenting the coveted award to the Director, Investigation and Enforcement, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor on behalf of the Agency extolled NAFDAC’s deployment of TRUSCAN and its global leadership in the Authentication user category.
GACG is a network of national and regional anti-counterfeiting organisations drawn from the European Union, North America, South America, China, India and Africa with the common objective of addressing the problems of counterfeiting and piracy by the sharing and exchange of information and participation in appropriate join activities.
This year’s conference had 509 attendees from all the continents participating notably the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, European Anti-Fraud Office, Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China, International Document Police, International Trademark Association, the European Union, top multi-national companies, security and IP experts, Jurists and the academia.