In telehealth, scaling up the Indian advantage

17 Feb In telehealth, scaling up the Indian advantage

Effects of COVID-19-

• • Detection of T.B. cases came down by 50% in April-December of 2020 relative to the same period in 2019
  • antenatal care visits were down by 56% in the first half of 2020.
  • It has exacerbated inequalities 
    • people living in rural and remote areas were further disadvantaged because of travel restriction.
    • The increased use of digital technologies
      •  has mitigated the impact of COVID-19 to a extent
      • Virtual consultations avoid the risk of COVID-19 transmission and spread
      •  It has helped to bridge this socio-economic divide.

• government’s e-Sanjevani platform

• It offers both provider-to-patient interactions

• provider-to-provider interactions

•  Here patients visit digitally equipped community health officers in rural health and wellness centres

•  It helps to connect general practitioners and specialist doctors through a hub-and-spoke model.

• Private providers and non-governmental organisations have also expanded their reach by virtual access to underserved populations.

• increase telehealth, telemedicine capacity by eliminating repetition of common advice.

• Why is it good?
  • Data plans are cheaper in India than anywhere else in the world.
  •  appropriately secure platform 

Way forward: 

With innovation in ecosystems of thinking and technology, learning and adaptation of new processes, new digital tools that bring an opportunity to leapfrog into a reality of ‘Health for All’.

Source- The Hindu

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Swarn Singh

Plutus IAS Current Affair Team Member