John Ogunranti | credits: File copy

Professor of Anatomy and former Dean of the College of Medical Sciences, University of Jos, John Ogunranti, tells JUDE OWUAMANAM about his foray into electronic medicine practice

What is e-Medicine all about?

It is properly called electronic medicine. It involves the use of computers and information to study and practice medicine. The definition was first created and used by me in 2008 and demonstrated to the first audience at Imperial College, London which is the best medical technology institution worldwide. It was published in peer- reviewed top class academic journal of Medical Education in Edinburgh called Medical Teacher in 2009. Since then, it has become popular in the international scene in medical jargon.

Are you saying you are the first person to define and practice holistic electronic medicine?

Yes. There is nowhere in Africa where we have the best or the first in academic technology. Neither is there any place which is unique or the best in those areas. When we think we have one, it turns out to be fake. Some of us are fed up with this situation of consumerism and want it changed and have therefore dedicated our lives to be achievement oriented rather than qualification-without-achievement scenario which has pervaded Africa. It does not matter if we are able to achieve little in a world devoted to the West.

What do you mean by qualification-without-achievement scenario?

Africa and Africans are preoccupied with Europe-styled qualifications and are simply not bothered about providing achievement which matches the said qualifications. Hence, an African will show off a PhD from Harvard University but will provide no achievement when requested for in 10 or 20 years after the qualification. Qualifications are used to obtain jobs. Once a man has a job, his next focus is to use this job to begin to attain some feats. He begins by being the first to perform a particular feat in his home town, later local government, state, country and finally reaches the ultimate- the only one in the entire world. This is where Africa has remained totally a virgin land. Many African academics equate qualification with achievement.

What is the use of e-Medicine?

It is similar in use to two already well known methods of information technology which are: Electronic Learning or e-learning and Electronic Practice like in electronic banking which we are all so familiar with in Nigeria. As a matter of fact, Nigeria as a developing country, has benefitted in no small measure from ICT revolution in such a manner that even our government facilities and parastatals have become almost completely enveloped in the ICT practices. What we want to achieve is to include the practice and learning of medicine with this revolution.

Read the original:

‘E-medicine will improve Nigeria’s healthcare’