Egypt's Mobinil, the country's top mobile operator, and American Qualcomm Incorporated have partnered on a new initiative, titled Click Diagnostics, which aims to allow dermatologists the ability to diagnose skin conditions remotely through 3G services. The project, in collaboration with the country's Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Communications, was launched on Thursday as a pilot program to test the new technology. Doctors say the initiative could help reduce the amount of time patients are required to be in the office, by snapping an image of their skin and sending it directly to their doctor. “It is really an interesting idea and if successful, I am certain that many patients will be greatly appreciative of not having to battle traffic to get to a doctor,” said medical professional Ahmed Shafie. The program sites allow doctors to take images of the patients' skin conditions and capture symptoms in text formation using the 3G networks. “This information is then sent through Mobinil's 3G HSPA mobile broadband network to swiftly obtain diagnosis from specialists working elsewhere,” the statement from Mobinil said. “During this pilot phase, both an onsite physician and a remote specialist diagnose skin conditions, and the results are then compared to confirm the prognosis,” the company added. “This project is an example of how Mobinil's state-of-the-art network can improve the lives of Egyptians,” said Mobinil CEO Hassan Kabbani, in highlighting what the company hopes will be a great breaking medical device. “We will continue to work in this direction by cooperating with various parties in diverse fields to make Mobinil's network technology resources available to serve more than 30 million customers.” BM
