Altogether 1,250 patients from different areas in the district were provided healthcare consultations and services through the telemedicine portal on the first day on Friday.
Bhagalpur civil surgeon (CS) Dr Umesh Sharma told this newspaper on Saturday that the telemedicine facilities would be provided on Wednesday and Friday every week besides on the designated special days.
“The objective is to provide expert doctors’ advice to the needy patients about their health condition, treatment procedures and medicines to be taken, besides periodic mapping of their conditions, including those having serious health ailments,” he said.
Dr Sharma said 37 earmarked medicines will also be provided to the needy people as per the health department directives. “The paramedical staff, including auxiliary nursing midwife (ANM), would assist the doctors and the patients in proper communication of the ailments and telephonic advices,” he said.
Explaining the telemedicine procedures, the CS said: “It involves usage of electronic communications and software to provide consultation services by the doctors to patients through telephonic conversation and without an in-person visit at hospitals.”
He added: “Tele-medicine is technology based medicare services provided by the expert doctors towards patient care and improving the healthcare delivery system. The situation after Covid—19 pandemic has changed and as such in situations of medical emergencies as well as in normal situations too it is going to bring sea change in the healthcare system. We are going to make efforts for creating awareness about the telemedicine facilities to the needy.”