KGMU TELEMED FACILITY HELPS PATIENTS IN REMOTE PLACES

LUCKNOW : Since the past two days, seriously ill patients in Basti, Siddhartha Nagar, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Deoria and Kushinagar districts have been getting medical consultancy from specialist doctors in Lucknow -and without even visiting the state capital. The ‘HealthRADAR’, a telemedicine system implemented at the King George’s Medical University (KGMU), is helping these patients receive tertiary care, with district / village level doctors interacting with experts sitting in Lucknow over the internet. It has already connected seven district hospitals and 15 village health centres to the state capital.

PRAYAGRAJ: Telemedicine facility would start in 28 districts of UP from March 1, while state-of-the-art dialysis units would begin functioning in 35 districts by June, UP health minister Sidharth Nath Singh told

Kenneth John in an interview . Excerpts :

What initiatives are planned to ypgrade the health scene ?

In a state where health facilities were in a shambles before our government took over in 2017, several new initiatives have been undertaken to improve the treatment scene . From March 1, telemedicine facility will be launched in 28 districts including Prayagraj, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi etc, while the remaining will get it after completion of the initial phase.

How does telemedicine work?

The hi-tech treatment facility will provide expert opinion of specialists in different fields of treatment, who are presently serving in the country’s most prestigious hospitals .

Are there plans to provide costly treatment to the common man?

We have already provided CT scan facility in all district hospitals and are all set to launch dialysis centres in 35 districts by June this year, while the remaining districts will receive it next year.

What has been done to ensure availability of medicines in all government hospitals, CHCs and PHCs?

We have ensured availability of 160 drugs covering all fields of treatment at all district hospitals all through the year, while the list for Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres has fewer medicines. The claim of non availability of medicines at government hospitals is baseless . People do not understand that a medicine prescribed by a practitioner can be available by a different name, though basic salts are same.

What has been done to tackle measles, rubella, JE etc ?

In the vaccination for curbing measles and rubella, UP has been placed at number one position in the country with 98 per cent vaccination, while for JE and AES, , the death rate has come down by 58% in one year i.e 2017-18. We have vaccinated 1.50 crore children till now since 2017 for JE.