Common Services Centres (CSC), a Government of India initiative with its 3.90 lakh Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) are proving to be a game changer across states. The latest news comes from Khodaganj, a remote village in Nalanda District of Bihar where 25 years old VLE Prabhat Kant through his CSC centre has helped 1,000 patients with telemedicine service in the last three months.
The news was shared by Dinesh Tyagi, who heads CSC in a tweet “How CSC Khodaganj turned into new face of primary healthcare in Nalanda, Bihar”
Trained by NCUI and tying up with the likes of IFFCO Bazar, CSC e-governance is proving to be a one stop shop for all the needs of villagers which include not only farm-related needs but also health-related issues. NCDC’s latest declaration of infusing capital in the health care system in the country is another shot in its arm, experts opine.
Khodaganj is a remote village in Nalanda District of Bihar with abysmal healthcare, facilities, education, drinking water, road and electricity facilities. During the Corona pandemic, CSC Telemedicine proved to be a boon for the people of the area.
As at other places, the Khodaganj CSC prepared a robust system of Primary Health Care Centers to provide quality responses to situations of public emergency in the post-coronavirus disease (Covid-19) world without compromising on quality of care and outcomes. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “After the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare will be a big movement in India. CSCs should work as the centres of Primary Healthcare.”
“The area of Khodaganj is majorly lacking in healthcare infrastructure. Villagers have to travel to Public Health Centres in neighbouring villages or to the district hospital in Nalanda when they have more serious ailments. Public transport is not so efficient and private vehicles are hired, often at very high costs. The CSC in Kodaganj GP is bridging the gap between villagers, physicians and health systems, enabling everyone through telemedicine service”, reads a CSC bulletin.
A science graduate VLE Prabhat says, “Primary care through my CSC is playing a significant role in the COVID-19 response by differentiating patients with respiratory symptoms from those with COVID-19, making an early diagnosis, helping vulnerable people to cope with their anxiety about the virus, and reducing the demand for hospital services.
“My centre is playing a critical role in managing the epidemic and providing continuity of services. The people who are suffering from other medical ailments during this time can receive care from home, without entering medical facilities, minimizing their risk of contracting the virus,” he added.
With the help of Digital Doctor Prabhat, many chronic patients have scheduled tele-consultations to avoid face-to-face clinic visits and hence minimize their risks of exposure to COVID-19. CSC Telemedicine in Khodaganj provides a 24/7 lifeline for patients to connect to their providers. This offers great comfort and assurance to the patients in these trying times, the VLE says.
The VLE opines, “CSC Telemedicine provides convenience and cost-effective medical care. Recently, it has become more comprehensive, expanding to acute and chronic conditions, and migrating from hospital to home and mobile devices. In its simplest and low-tech form, visits to the doctors in village panchayats are not necessary and a simple telephone call or video conference can be facilitated instead.”
Apart from Telemedicine and education, VLE has made 300 Ayushman Bharat cards for villagers. Thousands of VLEs like Prabhat have offered an example of entrepreneurship in the state of Bihar. The entrepreneurs living in far flung areas of the villages were not trained for this, but they had an amazing perseverance. They developed these common qualities and these became their weapons.
