This report originally appeared in the December 2010 issue of DOTmed Business News

By Ronald de Jong

Many people in developing countries are dying prematurely because they lack access to the high-tech equipment the developed world takes for granted - mammography that helps doctors spot lethal cancers while there's still time for treatment, or even nuclear medicine exams to help them see if the heart is strong and healthy.

That's partly why many in the developed world generously donate medical equipment to hospitals and clinics in the Global South badly in need of advanced imaging systems. But donations, while laudable, often aren't enough. Unfortunately, this potentially life-saving equipment sometimes sits idle, unused and even unpacked in the box it was shipped in.

Why? For much of the developing world, the problem isn't just one of radiology access. It's one of radiology readiness. That is, many countries lack the trained personnel and even energy infrastructures necessary to make use of donated goods.

Take Liberia, a country on the west coast of Africa with 3.5 million people. According to Dr. Daniel J. Mollura, the founder of the nonprofit RAD-AID International, you could count the number of X-ray technicians in the entire public sector on your hands - there are only six nationwide. The situation is similarly dire in other African nations. In Uganda, there are only 30 radiologists in the whole country, meaning the ratio is one radiologist per 1 million people. By contrast, in the United States, the ratio is one radiologist per 100,000 people, according to the American College of Radiology.

This lack of trained personnel puts a huge burden on these systems. In Jordan, for instance, a relatively well-off and developed country, the average wait time for an MRI scan is nearly 8 months, because of significant backlogs.

But it's not just a human problem. It's also a technical one. Some technical conditions need to be in place for advanced imaging equipment to work: quite simply, you need to have power. It sounds very basic, but you wouldn't believe the issues we face in some parts of China and India, or Russia for that matter, where you have regular power outages.

This is why Philips has been collaborating with RAD-AID, Project HOPE and local groups to run Radiology Readiness assessments, to help make sure rural clinics, hospitals and doctors' offices - the typical recipients of aid - are ready to embrace radiology. For example, site readiness checks for an MRI means ensuring there's a dedicated room that's climate-treated, and that the staff on-hand has the know-how to make the best use of the technology. Training can be Web-based, or better yet, through exchange programs with developed world universities and hospitals.

Radiology readiness can even lead to life-changing, real-world affects. Recently, Philips, in cooperation with Project HOPE and the China's Ministry of Health, set up a breast cancer screening program in China.

Breast cancer is a big issue in that country. Sadly, when Chinese women receive a breast cancer diagnosis, the cancer is already quite advanced, usually in stage 3 or 4. The likelihood that they'll survive is low. And advanced cancers require advanced treatments like heavy surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Their toll is both emotional and financial. In fact, nearly a third of Chinese say health care costs are one of the main factors driving them into poverty.

So, for our program, we offer equipment, financial support and training. Each aspect is key: the donation of time and knowledge is as significant as that of high-priced machines. And in the end, it's worth it. By the time the program wraps up in the next three years, we are aiming to have trained 1,000 doctors in approximately 400 rural hospitals. More importantly, the goal is that almost 1.2 million Chinese women will have been screened for breast cancer - free of charge.

And Philips continues to look into ways to improve radiology readiness and access in rural China. With our partner, the Chinese Society of Cardiology, we're setting up chest pain clinics across the country. Already, we have four pilots running. As chest pain can indicate a severe underlying disease, we could help detect problems before they become untreatable.

These efforts aren't just humanitarian. For the countries helped, they have a huge economic impact. China is expected to lose in the short-term nearly $500 billion in income due to heart disease alone. In so far as radiology readiness can help people live longer and more productive lives, it's good for growth, too.

Ronald de Jong is general manager, Emerging Markets for Philips Healthcare.