Today, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Sameer Zuberi, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, attended the unveiling of a telemedicine hub pilot project at the Pierrefonds CLSC, a local community healthcare service centre in the Montreal area. This hub uses healthcare technologies integrated by Canadian company Baüne as part of the Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) Connected Care Medical Modules (C2M2) initiative. Mr. Zuberi was with Dan Gabay, CEO of the Montreal West Island Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre; Lisa Campbell, CSA President; and David Saint-Jacques, CSA astronaut.
The CSA's C2M2 initiative encourages the development of technologies that will enable astronauts to monitor their health and handle their medical issues in a more autonomous fashion while they are far from Earth. Baüne's C2M2 prototype is now being adapted to meet the needs of patients here on Earth in a telemedicine hub. This hub features cutting-edge devices with which users will be able to take several measurements themselves, such as blood pressure, pulse and blood oxygen levels.
The telemedicine hub is a concrete example of how space innovation can help address pressing issues on Earth, such as improving access to quality healthcare. While space activities require us to be at the forefront of innovation with transformative technologies, space exploration also paves the way for ground-breaking advancements that help improve the well-being of Canadians across the country.
