Telemedicine is the process of providing healthcare using telecommunication and information technology to patients who are out of reach for direct communication. This process is a part of telehealth, which encompasses other health-related services like administration, health education, information sharing via telecommunication.
Current scenario
According to Prof K Ganapathy, neurosurgeon, Apollo Hospitals, and head, Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation (ATNF), “We have almost 100 telemedicine centres in India, run by people who are not trained for the job.” ATNF in association with Anna University started a certificate course in telehealth technology in 2005. Unfortunatelt the course was called off recently due to less number of takers. He says, “People are not going to be interested in opting for a course which does not seem to provide a job opportunity. We need guaranteed jobs to train people. We have proposed such suggestions to many colleges, but none have taken shape. This is not a commercial venture. This country needs completely trained personnel for telemedicine and telehealth.”
Where to study
The School of Telemedicine and Biomedical Informatics was established by Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow. It offers a diploma in telemedicine. Centre for Development of Advanced Computing Erstwhile, Mohali, Punjab, offers a four-week advanced course in telemedicine and medical informatics.
Career prospects
Telemedicine centres are needed in the country due to the inequal distribution of health resources. More than half of the Indian population is in rural areas and find it difficult to avail quality health services. Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation of Apollo Hospitals recruits trained personnel. The Indian Space Research Organisation also undertakes several telemedicine activities that connect doctors in rural areas with speacialty hospitals via INSAT Satellites.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Kavya Sanjeevi
Quelle/Source: The New Indian Express, 19.08.2013
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