Page 18 - Tata-Trusts-Annual-Report-2021-22
P. 18

OF
                                                                                                                             HOPE



                                                 Strengthening healthcare delivery in

                                                     Telangana through telemedicine



                      While disrupting healthcare access in an unprecedented manner,   experiencing.  After  reviewing  the  information  provided,
                      the COVID-19 pandemic has also proved to be a game changer in    Dr Parmeshwari issued an electronic prescription to the PHC, along
                      primary and secondary healthcare delivery for rural and remote   with further advice relating to physical therapy for Laxmaiah.
                      communities through the successful expansion of telemedicine.
                      The Tata Trusts have been instrumental in this expansion through   “Speciality telemedicine services in government health facilities
                      a successful collaboration with the Government of Telangana to   are benefiting thousands of people from lower socio-economic
                      set up Care Coordination Centres (CCCs) and telemedicine units   sections. They also help reduce their out-of-pocket expenses
                      across the state.                                                spent on travel,  consultation fees  for  private  specialist, and
                                                                                       medicines,” says Dr. Parmeshwari.
                      Laxmaiah P, a 45-year-old farmer from Raghupatipeth village in
                      the Nagarkurnool district of Telangana experienced this          Incorporating an innovative hub and spoke model in Telangana, the
                      first-hand. The hard physical labour involved in his daily farming   state government provided the CCC infrastructure, hubs, and
                      routine resulted in a back injury, rendering him incapable of    spokes for the programme, while the Trusts pitched in with IT
                      farming his land. Home remedies proved futile, and he was        infrastructure, handled software development, implementation,
                      advised to visit Mahbubnagar for consultation. But the long travel   and training. This ensured that speciality and virtual health services
                      time and expenses, involved kept him from making the visit.      were delivered seamlessly to remote parts of the state, through a
                                                                                       network of 71 hubs and 1,249 spokes, during the last 15 months.
                      Someone then told him about consulting a specialist through a
                      video at the local government-run Primary Healthcare Centre      The programme has also successfully onboarded 981 specialists
                      (PHC) in his village. During the initial physical examination, the   on to its telemedicine platform, with an average of 60 percent of
                      medical o cer at the PHC booked an appointment for Laxmaiah      them providing virtual speciality consultations. PHCs were also
                      on the same day for a video consultation with an Orthopaedic     connected with district hospitals in 33 districts of Telangana
                      specialist— Dr Parmeshwari at the Government General Hospital    under the programme, facilitating a total of 2.05 lakh
                      in Mahbubnagar.                                                  telemedicine consultations.

                      During the video session, Laxmaiah                                With regular follow-ups conducted in a similar manner, Laxmaiah
                      explained his condition, also                                      recovered quickly and resumed his daily farming chores. “This
                      demonstrating the physical                                          was especially helpful for a poor farmer like me, as I was in a lot
                      pain and disability he was                                          of physical pain and could not undertake travel and was also
                                                                                          unable to a ord the expense. But through telemedicine, we now
                        A telemedicine video                                             have access to such good doctors sitting here in the village.”
                        consultation session in progress.
                        The Trusts and the Telangana
                        Government have joined hands
                        to expand virtual healthcare                                                          3  GOOD HEALTH AND
                        access to the remotest parts of                                                          WELL-BEING
                        the state                                                                             PROJECT ALIGNS WITH SDG




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