Even as these ‘click clinics’ from the UK and USA have been catering to Indian patients for quite some time now, desi websites, with an impressive line-up of specialists, are gaining in popularity as they are cheaper and Indian doctors are easier to interact with.
Sample this: ‘Get an answer to your health query with 20 per cent discount’ screams a blinking message on healthcare magic.com, which has 30 specialists online and available for a live chat at any given time.
The patient can choose his specialist, the ‘consultation packages’ and pay via credit card before the chat starts.
“I am a regular at a couple of these websites, and chat with a homeopathy specialist from Mumbai for my psoriasis. Initially, I had taken a few blood tests that were examined by doctors at the Chennai branch, and after that I have been in direct correspondence with the senior doctor,” says Ms Padma, a Chennai-based IT professional.
The state government has also gone net-savvy, and launched a 2-hour online consultation on its website www.tnhealth.org. Doctors from various government hospitals will be available between 4 and 6 pm to answer queries about ailments and medicine, one specialty each day.
Chennai hospitals are taking their telemedicine a couple of steps further to treat patients from overseas. Doctors at the Sri Ramachandra Medical College offer consultations to patients from the 53
Pan African countries, and also deliver medical lectures for African students and doctors sitting in the telemedicine studio at the college, through a 14,000 km undersea optic fibre cable connecting the two continents.
“The Indian government has donated 10 essential equipment, including X-ray and ECG machines, to each patient centre in Africa, from where medics will send us results of tests conducted on sick people. We hope to provide telemedicine consultation for at least five patients every day,” said Dr K. Selvakumar, professor of neurosurgery and chairman of telemedicine at SRMC.
Apollo hospitals is planning to enter people’s living rooms and offer consultations on their television/computer screens.
“Residents of large apartment complexes usually have all the facilities within the campus, as they are usually located away from the city centre. We are saving them the trouble of multiple visits to the hospital, and offer 24X7 consultations,” said Dr K. Ganapathy, neurosurgeon and president of Apollo telemedicine networking foundation.
Having tied up with a real estate company, the hospital will set up small clinics in residential complexes with over 150 apartments, with equipment and video conferencing devices to transmit vital information, like heart sounds, blood pressure and ECG to the specialist at Apollo hospital, the doctor explained. All medical records will be maintained for future use, he added.
“While the clinic will ideally have a doctor or paramedic to receive the patient and perform preliminary examinations, even a child or watchman can use equipment like the stethoscope, or BP machine, following the instructions of the specialist at the main hospital during emergencies,” Dr Ganapathy said.
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Quelle/Source: Deccan Chronicle, 21.09.2010
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