Soon, avail PGI superspeciality services over phone

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, July 14

The Telemedicine Department of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, is planning to set up tele-clinics in collaboration with various medical colleges and hospitals, including Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, and Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16.

The aim is to facilitate patient follow-ups and streamline disease prevalence identification, benefiting individuals who have to travel long distances for routine checkups.

To benefit patients living in far-off areas

• PGIMER to set up tele-clinics in collaboration with medical colleges and hospitals of city and neighbouring states
• Aims at facilitating patient follow-ups, benefiting individuals who have to cover long distances for routine checkups
• Services covered under initiative include radiology, cardiology, ICU, stroke clinics and emergency services
• After initial testing, initiative to be expanded to provide round-the-clock services by recruiting consultants

The specialties that will be covered under the tele-clinic initiative include radiology, cardiology, ICU, stroke clinics and emergency services.

Tele-clinics will allow patients to connect with different departments and superspeciality clinics remotely. The stored data will be securely maintained on a server or cloud storage, ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of patient information.

The tele-clinic project will commence with the active involvement of the departments concerned at the PGIMER and the pilot phase will initiate services for a designated hour or two, with consultants offering their expertise remotely.

Upon successful testing, the initiative will be expanded to provide round-the-clock services by recruiting consultants dedicated to their respective departments. The Department of Telemedicine will oversee the implementation and management of this service.

In addition to expanding services within Chandigarh, the PGIMER aims at collaborating with medical colleges, hospitals, primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu & Kashmir. The primary objective is to enhance medical facilities and provide quality healthcare in these states.

While tele-consultations and tele-clinics were previously established with medical colleges in other states, the programme was temporarily halted due to administrative reasons. The institution is now eager to restart tele-consultations and clinics with various medical establishments, including Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, and IGMC, Shimla, besides PHCs and CHCs across Himachal Pradesh.