Odisha model of telemedicine improves healthcare in rural areas

A recent study says an Odisha model of telemedicine project, which helps in extending affordable healthcare and alleviating poverty by stimulating micro-entrepreneurship, can create Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based sustainable development across the globe.

The study conducted by Prof Radha Kanta Mahapatra of University of Texas at Arlington and former Chief Secretary of Odisha Sahadeva Sahoo was presented at three-day Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) at Boston that ended on Saturday.

The researchers claimed that a unique telemedicine model developed by Orissa Trust of Technical Education and Training (OTTET) with State Government in PPP mode has been successful in providing and improving healthcare in rural areas by reducing both direct cost and out of pocket expenses. Central government adopted it as a model project two years ago.

Started in 2009, the unique model that focusses on sustainability involves training of local youth in e-medicine services and enables them to set up e-health centres in government-run primary health-care centres (PHC), community health centres (CHC) and subdivisional hospitals. These centres have created job opportunities for over 500 youth in Odisha and reached out to over five lakh patients.

The telemedicine centres have been opened at the State-run Sub-centres and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) which are plagued by shortage of physicians, paramedical staff and diagnostic facilities. These centres get the patients tested and provide on the spot test reports besides consultation with specialist doctors through tele-conferencing.

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