DURING FEB 1 - APR 08, 2007 MARTIN STREL SWAM 5,268 KMS (3274 MILES) OF THE AMAZON RIVER! HE DEDICATED THE SWIM TO THE PROTECTION OF THE RAINFOREST. |
AVMT´s Mission
In order to ensure Martin Strel´s safety and his team´s safety we created the Amazon Virtual Medical Team consisting of volunteers from around the world, that will provide health care services using telemedicine and advance technologies 24/7 for the duration of the trip to the swim team.
This is the first time that telemedicine technology will help in a mission of this magnitude and relevance, and has the potential to demonstrate the feasibility, humanization of the technology, and virtual international collaboration of unseen proportion.
The use of telemedicine will allow the AVMT to include specialists and experts from all over the world to participate in this medical endeavor based on their expertise, geographical position along the Amazon River, and their ability to serve as volunteers.
The AVMT will be responsible for coordinating a global medical team for the treatment of disease and injuries that may occur during the swim.
The AVMT will provide clinical expertise richly interwoven with spiritualism of the Amazon regions. For this reason the AVMT will incorporate many local regional and ministerial as well as indigenous healthcare experts into the management of healthcare needs for the duration of the project.
It is our hope that with the help of the Amazon Swim venture the AVMT will develop specific collaborative projects that include telehealth initiatives, such as those related to the floating clinics and remote hospitals and clinics in the Amazon region and in the Andes, as well as programs to enhance the emergency medical services and training programs in the remote areas of South American region.
The AVMT is a unique opportunity for human and technology to work together in some of the most hostile and difficult terrains that humans have ever encountered. In addition, the project will also provide opportunities for cultural exchange and knowledge sharing among many international experts and population of the region of Amazon.