Seychelles joins the pan-African e-network project

Seychelles is the second African country, after Senegal to join the $1 billion pan-African e-network project initiated by the Indian government.

The project aims to develop the continent information and communication technologies. Seychelles is expected to benefit through the tele-medicine programs, e-learning and teleconferencing facility for the head of state.

The first facility to be launched this week at the Ministry of Health headquarters was the tele-medicine network. The system will be used to share knowledge from Indian doctors with their Seychellois counterparts through online training programs and getting second opinion on medial diagnosis.

Victoria hospital will eventually be connected to twelve Indian tele-medicine specialist centres and four from the African continent, including 53 hospitals.


“Tele-medicine presents countless possibilities for the doctors and patients. It will improve the quality of health care, reduce cost and offer educational opportunities,” said Marie-Pierre Lloyd, the Minister responsible for health.

The education network will allow similar information sharing.

The E-network project was first announced by Indian president Abdul Kalam in South Africa in 2004. In October 2005, the Indian government and the Africa Union signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize the project.