iTriage Helps 2010 World Cup Spectators Find Healthcare in South Africa

LAKEWOOD, Colo., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- While South African healthcare workers brace for the multitude of visitors for the 2010 World Cup, spectators can help make their visit more enjoyable and be prepared for unexpected healthcare needs by downloading iTriage® on their smartphone. Healthagen® supports the emergency preparation efforts in South Africa as the FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11, by adding the private hospitals, along with healthcare facility mapping, in the eight South African provinces that tourists will visit.

With these latest iTriage additions for iPhone®, iPod touch®, Android™ and Palm® users, spectators in crowded tournament areas are assured of finding a medical facility, like Baragwanath Hospital – the closest to the main World Cup stadium and the world's largest 3000-bed hospital. In 2001, more than 40 people died and 146 people were injured in that same stadium after a pre-match stampede occurred between local soccer teams.

Incidences like that have emergency response teams concerned. Recent reports from South African paramedics cite shortages of staff and ambulances for the tournament. For that reason, visitors from around the globe need to know how to access the closest healthcare facility and the GPS capabilities of iTriage will help them find a provider.

"Coping with a major disaster is difficult for any country, but add an influx of tourists to a stressed healthcare system and you have the potential for many issues to develop. We wanted to support the athletes, families, and tourists during the 2010 World Cup with an additional medical resource," said Peter Hudson, M.D., Healthagen CEO. "iTriage puts critical healthcare facility information into the hands of spectators, so that when illness or injury occur, all the information needed is in the palm of a spectator's hand."

About Healthagen

Healthagen is a global developer of healthcare information software that empowers patients to make better decisions. Two practicing emergency medicine physicians developed iTriage after seeing a need to put more healthcare information into their patient's hands. Currently, iTriage is one of the first symptom-to-provider applications available to smartphone users. iTriage offers information on thousands of symptoms, diseases and medical procedures. Drs. Peter Hudson and Wayne Guerra co-founded Healthagen – a privately held company headquartered in Lakewood, CO.

SOURCE Healthagen