As part of the Centre's 'Act East' policy, a telemedicine network to improve regional cooperation in health care among BIMSTEC nations was today launched with the seven member countries being linked via video conferencing.
Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste inaugurated the JIPMER BIMSTEC Telemedicine Network (JBTN) here.
All seven BIMSTEC countries -- India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Thailand -- were linked by video conferencing during the launch.
The aim of JBTN is to improve regional cooperation in the field of health care by strengthening telemedicine-based patient care services and share medical knowledge among the BIMSTEC countries, the minister said.
"This Bay of BengalInitiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation(BIMSTEC) is an important aspect of the Act East policy of the central government envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Kulaste said.
He also inaugurated the foundation day of the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), a centrally-sponsored premier medical institution.
He lauded the efforts of JIPMER to establish the telemedicine network for the benefit of the poor and the under-servedpopulation of South East Asia.
This would indeed be an important step towards fulfilling the dream of the Prime Minister to develop sustainable regional international cooperation with East Asia and to strengthen bonds of friendship between the friendly people of the countries in the region, Kulaste said.
Referring to JIPMER, he said it was a happy development that JIPMER was in the process of upgrading and revising its undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum.
"We should alsointroduce new courses to keep pace with rapidly changing scenarios of medicine to meet new challenges of health care and medical education," Kulaste said.
The High Commissioner of Bangladesh in India, Syed Muazzem Ali, lauded the initiative and described it as "timely and noble".
Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in South India, V Krishnamoorthy, termed it as an important initiative to strengthen patient care services and to share medical knowledge among the BIMSTEC countries.
Delegates from Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India also hailed the launching of the JBTN.
The Union minister earlier distributed awards to staff and para medical personnel of JIPMER as a highlight of celebration of the institute's foundation day.
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