Adopting telemedicine, the others, an expert advises players in the oil sector

The Medical Director of Flying Doctors Nigeria, Dr. Jibayo Oyedele, has urged players in the oil and gas industry to embrace and leverage innovations in the healthcare sector to ensure their employees have access to quality health care.

Oyedele said so during the opening ceremony of the ongoing 40th Annual International Conference and Exhibitions of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorers, according to a statement released on Wednesday.

He said that since the oil and gas industry plays a major role in the African economy, it was important for stakeholders in the sector to create an enabling environment, including accessible quality healthcare for their workers. .

“The oil and gas industry is the brick and mortar of the African continent with thousands of workers. Energy demand is expected to increase by nearly 30% by 2040 across the continent.

"Important as such, the industry should create enabling conditions for its personnel, especially in the field, to have free access to quality emergency care and medical services.

“Ultimately, protected and healthy workers of individual businesses will improve the resilience of the national economy,” Oyedele said.

He, however, denounced the obstacles to achieving sustainable healthcare in the African oil and gas sector, highlighting the lack of innovative solutions in health technology and pharmaceutical technology as major contributors to the challenges.

Oyedele recommended more strategic partnerships to address the challenges. Meanwhile, a Flying Doctors Nigeria report presented at the event also recommended the adoption of healthcare innovations for oil sector employees.

The report is titled “The Latest Healthcare Innovations in Software, Telemedicine and Emergency Care to Keep Oil and Gas Workers Safe in the Workplace.”

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With a particular focus on Africa's energy sector due to the continent's demographic dividend and subsequent increase in energy consumption, the report also features 10 medical innovations to improve worker health and safety.< /p>

To back up its case, FDN provides a comprehensive overview of industry-related data, including the sector's economic contribution to African economies and statistics on health issues and injuries among oil and gas workers .

Prepared for practical use by leaders in the oil and gas sector in their quest to facilitate access to modern healthcare innovations for their employees, the report proposes the adoption of such innovative approaches, including the adoption of electronic medical records, telemedicine, remote treatment, wearable devices, mental health technology, fitness technology, medical evacuation coverage, smart remote clinics, international medical evacuation, advanced care ambulances and medical equipment on site.

“The report has been endorsed by senior executives of Nigeria's major oil, gas and energy companies responsible for the health care of their workers, including Dr. Mohammed Zango, Head of Medical Services, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; Mr. Babatunde Odemuyiwa, QHSE Manager (Nigeria and Ghana), Siemens Energy Limited; Dr. Sukalyan Basu, Head of Medical Services, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals; Dr. Uche Okorocha, former Health Advisor, Sub-Saharan Africa, Schlumberger; and Dr. Okuns Ohiosimuan, Director of Corporate Medical Services/CMO, Nigeria LNG.

"These experts expressed their interest in innovative technologies and reiterated their desire to adopt new medical technologies in their business practices. Some leaders whose companies have already integrated telemedicine and other digital solutions to process workers internally confirmed the tangible value of technologies to the bottom line,” the statement read in part.

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