Iqaluit (Sep 13/04) - An enhanced tele-health system, unveiled in Nunavut last week, makes video conferencing more organized for people who need the system.

"It's very easy to use," said Victor Tootoo, corporate services deputy minister, while getting pointers on the system from Alberta Health and Wellness workers who were visiting the Baffin Regional Hospital last week.

Tele-health is a two-way video link connecting patients to physicians and specialists in other communities.

The new system, developed in Alberta, allows users to track exactly how often tele-health is being used, for what purposes and by whom.

Sharlene Stayberg, tele-health director for Alberta, said tele-health is, "an incredible tool to enhance access to health care."

"It's particularly important in a large, sparsely populated region such as Nunavut. It can bring services closer to home, to citizens who would otherwise have no access."

Tootoo praised the system for saving time and saving money by avoiding travel costs.

The added bonus of usage tracking means all the scheduling information can be reviewed at year's end.

"We can base some management decisions on that information," Tootoo said.

The system arrives here at no cost to Nunavut. As part of a pilot project, Alberta Health and Wellness spent $300,000 developing it.