eSanjeevani OPD yet to pick up pace in Chandigarh
Naina Mishra
Chandigarh, February 9
The eSanjeevani OPD (teleconsultation), an initiative of the Central Government, is yet to pick up pace in the city.
As on January 28, only 1,663 patients have availed of the benefit of eSanjeevani in the city, according to the data shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the Rajya Sabha. eSanjeevani is a doctor-to-patient telemedicine system deployed nationally by the ministry under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
Dr Suman Singh, Director, Health Services, UT, said, “Many patients do not have a smart device, required for availing of the service of the eSanjeevani OPD. The hospital also has telephonic consultations and it is easy for patients to call up doctors without facing any network issues. However, we are emphasising on the eSanjeevani OPD as it is more formal. Besides, the health record will be stored on a portal for the doctor’s reference.”
The teleconsultation services are being provided at the GMCH, Sector 32, and the GMSH, Sector 16. The Health Department is providing three models for the eSanjevani teleconsultation services. This programme provides patient registration on the portal, video consultation with a doctor and instant messaging of ePrescription.
The patient-to-doctor consultations started at 29 health and wellness centres in the city on June 15. The patients are required to register on esanjeevaniopd.in and consult the dispensary medical officer.
Patients can enrol themselves on the portal and consult specialists at the GMSH and the GMCH in different disciplines. Besides, doctors from the GMCH and the GMSH can have super-specialty consultation from the PGI as well.
How it works
- Registration on portal: Patient verifies his/her mobile number using OTP
- Token: Patient requests a token for consultation; uploads health records, if any; receives patient ID and token through SMS
- Login: Patient logs in using the patient ID
- Wait: eSanjeevani OPD assigns a doctor to the patient and as the doctor is assigned to the patient “call now” button gets activated
- Consultation: Patient consults the doctor
- ePrescription: At the end of the consultation, doctor sends the ePrescription
