Consumer rights organisation demands Haryana govt to encourage telemedicine

CHANDIGARH: Amid the ongoing health crisis, Consumer Voice, a consumer rights organisation, has on Saturday demanded that the Haryana government should encourage telemedicine to save lives of those suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCD’s).
Ashim Sanyal, COO of Consumer Voice, said, “Telemedicine has been a great boon during Covid for consumers and has really helped reduce disparities in access.Patients who have underlying health conditions such as hypertension or diabetes, should not delay or suspend their treatment and avail of remote consultations. Hospitals are a hotbed of infection right now and tele-consult with a doctor is safe.”
According to recent figures published by the Ministry of Health, e-Sanjeevani the government telemedicine platform has clocked more than 50 lakh consultations in the past year. Everyday at least 40,000 Indians are dialing in from various corners of the country to use this contactless and risk free health facility. With 63% of all deaths annually due to NCDs and millions at risk of falling critically ill and dying, the pandemic has revealed how telemedicine can be a long-term game changer in managing India’s burden of chronic non-communicable diseases particularly to the rural underserved populations.