29 February 2020
MITAS Medical Inc. has successfully completed trial operations in Mongolia (Trial period: October 2019 ~ January 2020) funded from “Fifth Tobidase Japan Program: Initiative for Providing Subsidies to Support Mid-Ranking Enterprises and SMEs in Entering Global Growth Markets.” (https://www.icnet.co.jp/tobidase-japan/).
During the trial, MITAS staffs have traveled to Mongolia 1-2 times/month to conduct interviews by visiting nomadic group’s ger(yurt), and to meet with ophthalmologists and general practitioners at local clinics multiple times.
We believe in the importance of understanding and experiencing the situation/environment on the ground to discuss with the locals how our system can be utilized and implemented.
Through these visits, with support from Ministry of Health in Mongolia and professors at Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, we were able to place the MS1 at 20 clinics within one of the provinces to set up tele-diagnosis system by connecting those clinics with ophthalmologist in the city center.
We have conducted hundreds of tele-diagnosis through the system we set up during the trial period, and have seen early detection cases of glaucoma attack which lead to a proper treatment and resulting in avoiding possible sight loss. Operation in Mongolia gave us an opportunity to prove the effectiveness of our product and service.
Here are some comments we received from general practitioners at local clinics;
“We want to let other clinics in different provinces see this system!”
“It is very reassuring that we can consult with a specialist instead of sending patients to an ophthalmologist hundreds of kilometers away”
These comments are what get us going and make it worth flying to Mongolia with negative 45 degrees temperature!
Though the funded trial period has ended, we will work towards brushing up the system which locals of Mongolia saw many possibilities in and will aim to deliver them to places in need!
