Pune: Telemedicine industry picks up amid lockdown

PUNE: Vimannagar resident Sushmita Sinha’s two-year old son developed a runny nose last week. With the lockdown in place, she could not visit her usual paediatrician and hesitantly decided to consult a doctor over a video call. When treated with the prescribed medicine, the child was fine in three days.
Sinha is not alone. More people not in need of emergency care are warming up to the idea of consulting doctors via video calls or chats, aka telemedicine, in the wake of the nationwide lockdown triggered by the Covid-19 scare.

“Telemedicine reduces the probability of infection. Antenatal cases have increased risk of infection. They also need to go to the clinic to ensure proper growth of the child. In infants, symptoms of disease other than the present epidemic also need to be addressed. Teleconsultation can help both,” general physician Aniket Joshi, who has been attending nearly 30 patients a day through online mode, said.
President of Indian Medical Association, Pune chapter, Sanjay Patil said, “Almost 600 doctors in Pune taken to telemedicine in the wake of the lockdown and to keep a tab on their patients. There are guidelines by the health ministry to conduct telemedicine and every doctor is following them.”
Diabetologist Madan Phadnis said he had been attending 15-20 calls each day and spending almost four to five hours in consultation from home.
“Apart from my regular patients, I have been receiving calls from those complaining about general flu symptoms. I assess their condition and symptoms and prescribe medication accordingly. If required, I send them to the nearest hospital for better care,” Phadnis, who had been practising for over 40 years, said.
The Motherhood Hospitals is also using telemedicine technology to provide continuity of care to women and children. It has also launched an integrated online teleconsultation service for gynaecology, obstetrics and pediatrics.
Motherhood Hospitals CEO Vijayarathna Venkatraman said, “Teleconsultation has created a new model of hospital-based patient care. At this point of time, anxiety levels, particularly with expectant mothers and children, are high. Having access to their doctors gives such people extreme comfort and confidence.”
The Cloudnine Group of Hospitals also launched its teleconsultation service.
“Doctors will advise and follow up with patients according to their conditions and symptoms. People can use this service for follow-up consultation on their ongoing treatment as well. This value-added health service shall be available on cellphones through “It’s our Baby” app,” Raviganesh Venkataraman, CEO, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, said.