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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