The Hindu : Govt. to expand telemedicine facility

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 08, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Govt. to expand telemedicine facility

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI Feb. 7. The Health Minister, Kagodu Thimmappa, today said that telemedicine facility would be introduced in select government hospitals in the State in the current year, at a cost of Rs. 120 crore.

He was addressing presspersons here after handing over a portion of the building constructed under the Karnataka Health System Development Project (KHSDP) to the district hospital authorities. Telemedicine was crucial in obtaining the right medical advice from specialists anywhere and saving the life of a patient, obviating the need for the patient to go to a particular hospital for treatment. The Bangalore-based Narayana Hrudayalaya, ISRO, and the State Government had join hands in promoting the venture.

He said all the projects under the KHSDP in the State, being implemented in 204 hospitals at a cost of Rs. 595 crore with World Bank assistance, would be completed by March. A sum of Rs. 5.80 crore had been spent so far on renovation and repairs, and construction of new buildings at the district hospital here. However, with regard to the KFW, a German-assisted project in the Hyderabad-Karnataka area, time had been sought till December to complete the project.

On the stock of medicines in government hospitals, the minister said procurement was not up to the expected levels at present as several zilla panchayats had not procured medicines in time. The zilla panchayats and the district hospitals procured 60 per cent of the requirement while 40 per cent was dispatched from State-owned pharmaceutical companies annually. To improve the system, the Government would buy and distribute all the medicines through the 14 centres set up with warehousing and computer facilities from next year. Two districts would be attached to each centre.

To a question, Mr. Thimmappa said the proposed handing over of inaccessible rural hospitals to any person interested in running them had not taken off as expected. It would take some more time.

The Government planned to provide important healthcare services in the district hospitals to treat and cure cardiac, kidney, and other diseases.

Mr. Thimmappa said as many as 3,000 personnel, including drivers, technicians, pharmacists, and other staff would be appointed by March. Nearly 1,000 auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) posts were vacant. Around 500 ANMs would be posted as soon as they finished training before March.

He admitted there was a shortage of 334 specialist doctors in various government hospitals. However, 37 had been appointed recently, he said, adding that the Government was contemplating providing incentives to such specialists.

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