National Health Mission Maps Each Madhya Pradesh District With Two Nearest Medical Colleges

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): National Health Mission (NHM), which is struggling with shortage of doctors and specialists at the ground level, has done mapping of each district with two nearest medical colleges under telemedicines system to ensure better health care facilities to patients at Primary health Centre (PHCs) and Community Health Centre (CHCs).

Over 18 lakh patients have been provided with health care facilities through telemedicine in Madhya Pradesh from January to August 15, according to NHM officials. Consultation is done through e-sanjeevani portal of Government of India (GoI).

Govt of India’s eSanjeevani - National Telemedicine Service is plugging the digital health divide that exists in urban and rural India. It’s main objective is to address the shortage of doctors and specialists at ground level while reducing the burden on secondary and tertiary level hospitals.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s National Telemedicine Service eSanjeevani is operational through two modes viz. - eSanjeevani AB-HWC (doctor-to-doctor telemedicine platform) and eSanjeevaniOPD – (patient-to-doctor telemedicine platform) which provides outpatient services to the citizens in the confines of their homes.

Dr Ruby Khan, Deputy Director of Blood Cell at the National Health Mission (NHM) informed Free Press, ‘We have done mapping of each district to two nearest medical colleges.

If it is not materialised, then, option for AIIMS is explored. Telemedicine system works through e-sanjeevani portal of Government of India. Doctors deployed at PHCs, CHCs, connect at district hospitals and medical colleges for consultation with medical experts through Arogya Mandir.

So there is no need for patients to travel at district hospitals for doctor consultations. Around 18,04,378 patients have been provided with health care facilities through telemedicine in Madhya Pradesh from January to August 15.’