Odisha, online clinic project in support of rural areas

For years, the project responds to the needs of unemployment and health care in remote areas. 127 centers already opened. An electronic consultation costs a third of the normal ones.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - An original online clinic project is revolutionizing medical care in the Indian state of Odisha, as reported by The Hindu newspaper in Chennai.

It began in 2009 as a sustainable model of electronic medical care involving young people with a minimum IT preparation and setting up IT centers in existing Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) or in Community Health Centers (CHCs). They have created jobs for 500 young people and reached a population of 500,000 people, thus solving two problems: youth unemployment and the health care in rural areas.

The project was designed and implemented by Kedarnath Bhagat, Director of Odisha Trust and Technical Education and Training (OTTET). Young people after a one-month course can apply for a bank loan to buy a computer, a video camera, and a collection of simple medical exam. Up to 127 centers of this type have so far begun in rural districts. Patients suspected of serious illness can consult specialist doctors and experts online and may refer to conventional hospitals such as Apollo, Global and Narayana.

These online centers can thus create databases with the clinical history of the various patients for future consultations. A consultation may cost 100 rupees (1.20 €) instead of 300 rupees. The World Health Organization also believes that this online doctors could solve many problems in the rural areas of many developing countries. OTTET will endeavor to cover 51,000 villages in the State of Odisha and is planning pilot interventions in Gujarat, Jharkhand, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Dr. Devi Shetty said: "Online clinics are a new opportunity for specialist doctors to get into rural areas to unreachable patients."