CHENNAI: From Kilpauk to Islamabad. That’s exactly what doctors will be doing on Saturday, when they beam live classes and surgeries from a hospital in the city to medical colleges in all the SAARC countries, including Pakistan. After using the Google Glass while operating on a patient last year, Lifeline Rigid Hospitals’ Chief Surgeon, Dr J S Rajkumar is hoping that reaching out to students and doctors in Pakistan may be a way to “Improve ties and bridge the gap ”. “There are a few last-minute concerns but we’re hoping that the Islamabad University comes on board and we can share our expertise.” The day-long webcast is to be inaugurated by Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who most recently attended Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.
Along with surgeons and teachers like Dr C M K Reddy, he is set to roll out a medical education module that will make space and distance nearly irrelevant. “Technology has moved so far ahead, that it no longer takes time to have a guest lecturer travel across continents, operate and give lectures in a university abroad. Now classes can be conducted and even surgeries can be beamed across through video-streaming,” said the gastroenterologist. The team will be showcasing live Laparoscopic Hernia and Bariatric surgeries. The idea which began with a proposal from the Department of Science and Technology, offers help to set up a subsidised live-streaming teaching module, provided it does at least one web-inar across the SAARC region, every month for the next year. “The possibilities are huge. In places like Pakistan and Kandy, people are leaping at the opportunity,” he added. He is hopeful that medicos from colleges in India will persuade their colleges to subscribe for direct-streaming video courses as they carry CME credits.