By Xinhua,
Kabul : India and Afghanistan Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to set up a telemedicine facility in the war-ravaged country, an Afghan health ministry statement said.
“The main purpose of this project is to provide complex technical know-how and expertise to the health care providers of Afghanistan from a distance by the Indian health professionals,” the statement said.
Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Jayant Prasad and Afghan Minister for Public Health Syed Mohammad Amin Fatimi signed the MoU on behalf of thier countries.
India’s state-owned telecommunication consultancy and engineering company, Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL), would be the sole executing agency for the implementation of the project, it said.
“We believe that the establishment of telemedicine facility by Indian government and transfer of knowledge, consultation and expertise from India to Afghanistan will not only enhance the capacity for health care service delivery but also bring a new technology and facility to Afghanistan,” the statement quoted Fatimi as saying.
India has contributed more than $750 million to Afghanistan since 2002 and major parts of the contribution has been invested in the fields of health, education and road building.