On February 25th, 2006 the Twister network was inaugurated at the Healthcare Centre of Haraka Asterousion by the Very Reverend Archimandrite Father Chrysostomos.

The Twister network "Terrestrial Wireless Infrastructure integrated with Satellite Telecommunications for E-rural" now provides, innovative solutions for upgrading healthcare services in rural regions. The Institute of Computer Science of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) participates in this network as the coordinator in Greece, in cooperation with National Centre for Emergency Care (Department of Crete) and healthcare bodies of the Regional Medical Administration of Crete & the South Aegean.

It is an Integrated Project, with a total budget of 8.5 million euro, co-financed by the 6th Framework Programme for Research of the European Commission with 5 million euro for the period 2004-2007. Also participating are organisations from France, Malta, Poland, Holland, Spain, Norway and Greece.

The project's objective is to provide innovative healthcare services (primarily broadband) to rural areas, by setting up as many as 105 satellite access points in combination with wireless networks. These networks will also cover the needs of the countryside in the fields of agriculture, education, local administration and e-business.

Specifically, in the healthcare sector, the Twister network provides services such as electronic health files, distance learning for the continuous training of the medical staff or distance counselling for the improvement of response time in emergency incidents etc.

As part of the project, the Healthcare Centre of Haraka Asteroussion has already been wirelessly connected to all its regional offices (Asimi, Messohorio, Metaksohori, Pirgos and Tefeli). The Healthcare Centres of Kandanos (Regional Offices Paleohora, Rodovanio and Voukolia) and Santorini (Regional Offices of Anafi, Sikinos, Folegandros and Thirasia) will follow.

Twister project: http://www.twister-project.net/

For more information please contact:
Katerina Chronaki
Biomedical Informatics Laboratory, Institute of Computer Science
Tel.: 2810 391691
E-mail: chronaki@ics.forth.gr