Orange Business Services, Bhutan government partner in national healthcare project

By eGov Innovation Editors | May 10, 2011

Thumbnail: 

SINGAPORE --  Orange Business Services, the enterprise communications arm of France Telecom, has entered into a partnership with the government of Bhutan and Regal Information Technology to deliver real time healthcare services to the people of Bhutan.

The services will include real-time health advice and 24X7 emergency response facility to citizens as well as access to a variety of other services.

Undertaken by the Bhutanese Ministry of Health, the project aims to provide quality and reliable healthcare to all its citizens. It will be integrated into the existing Bhutanese healthcare system.

Orange Business Services said it has also set up a Health Help Center (HHC) that will address Health Line Call Center needs and Emergency Management, which is similar to the 911 emergency services offered in the United States.

At the unveiling of the project, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Works and Human Settlements Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba said Bhutan has a well established primary health care system.

"Being a nation dedicated to the benefit of our citizens, it is our endeavor to enable efficient and effective delivery of healthcare in the remotest part of the country through the utilization of information technology," he said, urging citizens and visitors of Bhutan to take advantage of this benefit and ensure responsible and wise use of the service.

Orange Business Services has provided similar solutions to large healthcare projects in India and around the world. The solution is provided on a build-operate-transfer model and is being currently managed by Orange Business Services.

“Our association with the Bhutanese government is a privilege, and we are glad that they chose us to contribute to a project as important as their national healthcare infrastructure," said Bala Mahadevan, CEO, Orange Business Services India.

Aside from Orange Business Services and the Bhutan Ministry of Health, also involved in the project are  Regal Information Technology (RIT) from Bhutan and Procreate, a Hyderabad-based company specializing in healthcare and emergency management.