Telehealth saves lives, saves costs in India
01-Jul-16, Source Title
Over the past year, telehealth centres at Keylong and Kaza in Himachal Pradesh have saved over a 100 patients. Thanks to the difficult terrain and weather, people travel between 20 and 50 km for primary health care and at least 250 km for secondary care.
%20Hindustan%20Times.jpg "Telehealth saves lives saves costs in India (c) Hindustan Times")
Image: Hindustan Times
Moreover, it is hard to find doctors despite the state striving to appoint at least 10 medical professionals for the district and willing to pay specialists up to Rs 25 lakh a year, which is almost three times of what is normally paid.
To meet the shortfall, the National Health Mission has opted for emergency telehealth under the public-private partnership (PPP) model in Himachal Pradesh. Apollo TeleHealth centre is a first-of-its kind in such a remote location anywhere in the world. The centres in Keylong and Kaza were set up about 15 months ago and the two facilities offer regular clinical care apart from emergency aid. The centres have facilitated more than 3,000 tele-consults and provided emergency care to at least 200 people.