Union Minister Parshottam Rupala launched a pilot project on telemedicine services, to be operated by AIIMS Raipur through NCDC for members of the fisheries cooperatives under the central sector flagship program the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) on Monday.
Members of fisheries cooperatives in Chhattisgarh would now avail medical facilities including consultations with doctors from AIIMS, Raipur. The project would ensure people would be able to approach health specialists of AIIMS, Raipur from their remote locations through telemedicine facility, said Rupala after handing over a cheque for the Rs 50 lakh project to Dr Nitin M. Nagarkar, Director and CEO of the AIIMS Raipur to kickstart the pilot project.
According to the union minister, telehealth services have tremendous potential in our country where healthcare facilities are heavily concentrated in urban cities while those in remote areas like villages and coastal areas remain deprived of such benefits.
Proposed as a start-up activity by AIIMS, Raipur for next three years, the project is being launched in a pilot mode from five centres namely PHC Patan (Durg district), PHC Saja (Bemetara), PHC Ratanpur (Bilaspur), PHC Dhamtari (Chamtari) and AIIMS Raipur (Raipur). It is a joint effort by the Central Government, Government of Chhattisgarh, NCDC and AIIMS Raipur.
“The project is a way forward towards achieving the Digital India Mission as envisioned by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’, said Rupala. “In a pandemic-affected world, technology-enabled services including telehealth have become more relevant than ever. Given this, I am happy to inaugurate the telemedicine facility that will help bring access to quality medical consultation services to the people related with fisheries & fisheries cooperatives” Rupala noted.
With the launch of the facilities, the Government aims to bridge health disparities among fishermen and fisherwomen communities associated with their respective cooperatives in the Chhattisgarh State, explained NCDC MD Sundeep Nayak.
Nayak explained that after consultation, if it was found that the patient needed more specialized treatment even ambulance service could be made available. “Later on, more districts will be covered under the project. With the launch of the facilities, the Government aims to bridge health disparities among fishermen and fisherwomen communities associated with their respective cooperatives in the Chhattisgarh State”, explained NCDC MD Sundeep Nayak.
“We are happy to associate with the NCDC to provide high-quality care by providers and specialists in urban centers to the members of the fisheries cooperatives,” Dr Nagarkar said.
