VISAKHAPATNAM: The Telemedicine programme has been of great help to Andhra Pradesh, Dr Raghunadha Rao, founder-director of Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, has said.
In a statement here on Wednesday, Raghunadha Rao said the success of the programme is immeasurable as it not only helped people with various ailments, but also showed how efficiently suspected Covid patients can be identified, screened and cared for.
“Indeed, it is a forerunner of how healthcare can be brought to one’s doorstep with precision, certainty...” he opined.
“Disasters and the pandemic pose unique challenges to the healthcare. And, with the country locked down, there is limited access to healthcare. With this in view, the Medical Council of India framed the telemedicine guidelines. Its sole purpose is to enable registered medical practitioners to offer their services through the programme,” he explained.
He stated that Andhra Pradesh was quick to grab the opportunity and serve its people.
“Its objectives are two-fold--to ensure uninterrupted consultation to every single patient along with provision of home delivery of medicines for common ailments, and identify symptomatic patients and quickly provide help to them.”
Dr. YSR Aarogyasri Trust, which has been entrusted with the execution of the programme, created an online application, enrolled all willing specialists already enrolled in the Aarogyasri scheme, trained and deployed them to work in three shifts a day.