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National Doctor’s Day: Doctors highlight the importance of teleconsultations amid the pandemic
Doctors are now just a call away with the help of medical teleconsultation. Dr Aashish Chaudhry and Dr B. N. R. Subudhi speak on the importance of telemedicine and teleconsultation amid the pandemic.
In this time of the pandemic, when social distancing is the new norm, telehealth services have emerged as the most practical alternative to face-to-face medical consultations. When the regular healthcare services became inaccessible, such services became a lifesaver.
National Doctor’s Day is celebrated on July 1. This day is celebrated to express gratitude and thank the relentless efforts of doctors. Hence, we took this opportunity to talk about the emergence of medical teleconsultations that all healthcare facilities are now offering. Let us find out what the doctors have to say about this technological advancement in the medical industry.
Considering the huge demand, last year the health ministry had asked the Medical Council of India (MCI) Act to institute the telemedicine practice guidelines. Even the telemedicine Society of India (TSI) had been asked to train 500,000 doctors within a month, seeing the growing demand. At the same, we must take into account the large rural population and considering that most of these healthcare facilities are predominantly available in urban areas, telemedicine has an immense potential to bridge this gap.
“I urge people to have more faith than fear in their ability to control the virus. Digital Health is going to take a huge leap, healthcare at home is the new normal. Gone are the days when patients had to visit the hospital. At Aakash Healthcare, we have been providing teleconsultation under every speciality we have, only the patients who are required supervision 24x7 are getting admitted. During the COVID times as well, our doctors were handling OPDs along with patients through teleconsultations which largely helped in overcoming the burden over hospitals. Our doctors, nurses, staff were the strength throughout this fight,” said Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka.
“Telemedicine has emerged as a big opportunity for the healthcare industry especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The advances in remote patient care and virtual visits have drastically improved the quality of care by eliminating barriers like distance, mobility, time consumption and effort. Telemedicine not only brings care right inside the home of the patients but also enables patients to avoid long waiting lines and save time and money while avoiding the need to physically visit the clinics. The shift to digital technology has been a revolutionary move for the healthcare industry radically improving the delivery of care to even the most remote and resource-poor environments. On top of that, the use of AI, Big Data is further enabling advances in healthcare research, healthcare services and product development. Telemedicine is already playing a pivotal role in reduced costs and improved patient outcomes,” says, Dr B.N.R. Subudhi, Senior Consultant - Ophthalmologist, Ruby Eye Hospital and Medical Consultant of Entod Pharmaceuticals.
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