Haiti and telemedicine

Yet another sign that telemedicine is moving into place for the long-term care of Haiti’s sick and injured.  At the University of Miami’s 240-bed tent hospital near the Port-au-Prince airport, volunteer surgeons from the United States have performed 1,000 operations since the Jan. 12 earthquake. Their current connectivity is via high-speed Internet connections donated by a Miami philanthropist through Access Haiti, a wireless regional network linked through the neighboring Dominican Republic.  Shortly, this will transition to satellite consults with specialists in Miami and other medical centers.  Ham radio operators are also connecting the Navy’s USS Comfort hospital ship with patients needing evacuation onshore.  The Navy’s Southern Command is evaluating a longer-term medical presence in Haiti.  New York Times