Bangalore: Hewlett-Packard (HP) and non-government organization (NGO), Share India, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to improve access to quality healthcare in rural India. The two firms will jointly deploy HP's cloud-enabled healthcare solutions in rural Andhra Pradesh and are planning to roll-out similar initiatives in other parts of Andhra Pradesh, north-eastern states of India and Rajasthan.

As part of the MoU, HP will transform a rural health center in Aliyabad, located 45 kilometers from Hyderabad, into an eHealth Center by deploying a fully integrated cloud technology solution. The solution will connect the medical equipment deployed at the eHealth Center with an eHealth Cloud and collect basic patient health data to enable better medical diagnosis. The eHealth Center will also provide remote consultation using built-in videoconferencing options.

Share is recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, for its work in improving healthcare awareness and facilities to the underprivileged in India through affordable community welfare initiatives.

In December 2012, HP and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched the first rapidly deployable and fully integrated cloud-enabled eHealth Center in Chausala village of Kaithal District, Haryana, India. Over 4,000 patient visits were recorded in the first 100 days of operation alone.

The eHealth Center is expected to give close to 20,000 people across 10 villages an opportunity to receive quality diagnosis and treatment from doctors seated at a telemedicine studio in Share India- MediCiti Hospital at Ghanpur Village in Medchal Mandal, Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh. The patients will have direct interface with doctors remotely through a video conferencing-facility and will be assisted on-the-ground by interns, paramedics and nurses from the MediCiti Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS). MIMS will also provide weekly supplies of medicines and other consumables to the eHealth Center.