Pukka-j has recently donated a PACS loaded server and software for installation in a MDAUK hospital in North Kashmir, Pakistan (Midland Doctors Association UK).
Pukka-j made the donation through Tanweer Arif of Care UK. Care UK has been a customer of Pukka-j for many years, with Tanweer being responsible for RIS/PACS and system interfacing products across the whole UK organisation. Commenting, Tanweer says, “Pukka-j is the preferred RIS/PACS supplier for Care UK and delivers a first class product and support for our company. I thought that the MDAUK hospital should be equipped with the same product we offer for diagnostic services at Care UK and I therefore approached Pukka-j for the donation.” Tanweer and his family, through arranging the donation, have provided a strong IT base for the MDAUK hospital, with Tanweer giving up his spare time to set up the system in Pakistan. Without a robust IT and communication to handle medical data, the hospital infrastructure would lack organisation and process. The server and equipment will be installed shortly on-site at the near-complete hospital, ready for the forthcoming inauguration later in the spring.
The Pukka-j PACS will be used initially for radiology, CR, DR and US, and it is anticipated that it will be expanded to other systems later on.
MDAUK was initially created to serve a simple purpose: the construction and running of a charitable national medical institution in the earthquake-hit region of Pakistan in order to provide free healthcare at the point of delivery and serve as a major training centre for local health care professionals as well as acting as a focal point for any future relief operations should other natural disasters occur again.
The catastrophic earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck Northern Pakistan on 8th October 2005. A trauma team from Nottingham and Derby flew into the region one week after the tragedy and worked in a field hospital consisting mainly of tents. Over one thousand patients were treated in the five and a half days the team was there, with 134 major surgical procedures being carried out under general anaesthetic. At any one time, 70 inpatients were being treated.
The trauma team returned and made a long-term commitment to help the people affected by the earthquake. This escalated to into the development of a health infrastructure. The team initially consisted of doctors from the Midlands, but as the scale of the needs became apparent, a range of professional disciplines spanning both the private and public sectors became involved.
For further information on the MDAUK project go to www.mdauk.co.uk/projects