National exam scientific streams – 2016

[1]Arthur Zang, a 24-year-old Cameroonian computer engineer, invented the CardioPad. The idea for this invention came to his mind while he was watching a television programme about electrocardiographs during a
visit to a hospital in 2007.

[2] The CardioPad is a tablet computer. It diagnoses patients with heart diseases in remote areas where access to medical services is very restricted. When a medical examination is performed on a patient in a remote village, the results are transmitted from the nurse’s tablet to that of the doctor who then interprets them. The device is believed to be Africa’s first medical tablet that can send the results of cardiac tests to a cardiologist via internet connection. The heart specialist makes a diagnosis and sends it back with a prescription the patient.
to the nurse treating.
[3] “When I decided to design the tablet, I didn’t have the knowledge because I’m basically a computer science engineer. I learned a lot from an online free programme on electronics provided by the Indian Institute of Technology. The funding of my project was difficult. I went to the banks, but they wanted all sorts of guarantees. So I posted a video about my project on Facebook to raise funds.” This led to a$20,000 grant from the Cameroonian government, which Zang used to produce 20 tablets, two of which are being tested in hospitals in Cameroon.
[4] The Cameroonian scientific community has recognized the CardioPad as extremely effective.Thanks to this device, many patients living in remote areas do not have to travel to urban centres to seek medical examinations. Zang believes that his invention could save numerous human lives.
[5] Mafo Abeni, a 55-year-old heart patient ina rural area of Cameroon, said “I’ve had cardiovascular disease for about a year now. It is too costly and difficult for me to see a heart specialist in the city; the CardioPad saves me time and money.”
[6] Mr. Zang says he has been contacted by private investors. But he is more interested investors who share his vision, which is not of money,but of better ways to help improve people’s lives.

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