A fourth-year student at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine will be traveling to Africa in May to try to make medical imaging technology more widely available in low-income countries.
Benjamin Johnson, who will help test a new $2,002 U.S. (1,420 euros) ultrasound unit, will journey to Uganda in May with radiology outreach organizations Rad-Aid and Imaging the World. Johnson will also visit several clinics in the western part of the country in an effort to develop relationships and form new partnerships with local hospitals, according to a UCSD release.
Johnson spent five weeks in Uganda last year helping Imaging the World implement its pilot project, which aims to provide novel ultrasound imaging techniques to rural regions. Uganda has just 35 local radiologists serving 30 million people.
The organization has developed simple ultrasound protocols based on external anatomy that can be carried out by just about anyone, according to Johnson. Ultrasound cine loops are transmitted to a PACS in North America via a cellular Internet connection, which enables U.S. specialists to view the studies.
Reports are then sent back to Uganda, advising nurses and midwives of any possible health complications, according to UCSD.
