Telemedicine holds the key to improve efficiency and widen the reach of healthcare, especially to rural India. With over 70% of India’s population living in rural areas and over 75% of doctors based in cities, telemedicine will turn out to be the only feasible way to bridge the rural-urban health divide, said a recent study by Crisil.
While the shortage of doctors continues to be a matter of concern, acute shortage of nursing staff post 2011, will be telling, the study added. “Telemedicine is one such innovation, which if used effectively, would help improve the efficiency of doctors and treat more patients,” said Sudhir Nair, head, Crisil Research. While it is difficult to make standalone telemedicine models feasible, an integrated healthcare model would be viable, he added.