‘More demand for teleconsultation in govt hospitals’

There has been a steady rise in teleconsultation of doctors in Chandigarh, both from the region as well as the UT, according to Dr Suman Singh, Director, UT Health Services. “We have seen a demand for teleconsultation with specialists of GMSH-16. We are working to provide more services to patients who feel more comfortable seeking treatment through teleconsultation. In fact, we have people waiting in line for their turn for consultation. Some states have teleconsultation cells, and we would also like to work on this model,” said Dr Suman.

In a step in this direction Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity, has established a containerised E-Health Center at Milk Colony, Dhanas, in collaboration with National Health Mission. HPE has also established a Telemedicine Studio at GMSH-16. This studio is working as a teleconsultation hub for all Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) of Chandigarh. HPE under its CSR charter has also helped during Covid by digitising 28 HWCs across the UT for vaccination.

UT Adviser Dharam Pal, inaugurated the teleconsultation centre along with a facility for registration, ECG, and lab testing. Recently, UT bagged second prize among all states/UTs for teleconsultation services. Pal said that the 34 HWCs in different parts of Chandigarh are being upgraded and modernised and will be the focal point for efficient delivery of all health services except those requiring physical presence at major hospitals. Here, patients can avail of most of the services through telemedicine/E-Sanjivini, and doctors at HWCs can consult specialists at GMSH-16, GMCH-2, and PGI for better patient care.