With COVID-19 induced lockdown, it has become essential to reimagine how health care services can be delivered. With coronavirus becoming more unpredictable than ever, telemedicine is emerging as a viable option. “The use of telemedicine technology allows healthcare to become more accessible, efficient, and convenient for the patient,” Anil Vinayak, GCOO of Fortis Healthcare was quoted as saying by the theindianexpress.com.
The concept of virtual healthcare is not new as the government had launched Social Endeavour for Health and Telemedicine (SEHAT) way back in 2015. It’s an initiative to connect 60,000 health structures in the entire country and provide the service irrespective of the geographical location.
However, more and more government hospitals and e-pharmacies have adapted to telemedicine in the current situation. The surge in online consultations has been seen following the telemedicine guidelines which were issued by the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW), in collaboration with NITI Aayog and Board of Governors (BoG) Medical Council of India (MCI).
The long pending guidelines were issued amid the COVID-19 outbreak to decongest the healthcare facilities as this allows patient to consult doctors remotely which without disrupting the lockdown measures and also reduced the chance of transmission of novel coronavirus.
In an article in The Economist, it was stated that “America’s medicare programme, which covers more than 60 million elderly people, has said it would allow online patient visits. Also, federal rules were eased to allow American doctors to work across state lines, which is seen as a boon to remote consultations.”
“At a pan-Fortis level, tele/video consultation accounts for 10 per cent of our pre-COVID OPD consultation volumes,” Vinayak was quoted as saying.
However, some doctors believe that caution is key while opting for virtual healthcare. They believe that if a physical examination is required, the decision should not be made through virtual health care. The telemedicine can really be helpful in follow-ups, screening patients, and getting a second point of view.
