The Hindu : Telemedicine to be introduced in 1,000 medical institutions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Madikeri

Telemedicine to be introduced in 1,000 medical institutions

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI, FEB. 21. The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Kagodu Thimmappa, on Saturday announced that the telemedicine facility would be introduced in 1,000 medical institutions across the State to provide enhanced healthcare to people.

He was speaking here after inaugurating the renovated district hospital. The renovation work was taken up under the World-Bank assisted Karnataka Health Systems Development Project at a cost of Rs. 6.58 crore. Mr. Thimmappa, earlier, inaugurated the Virajpet taluk hospital built under the project at a cost of Rs. 4.11 crore. The telemedicine facility would obviate the need for rural people to go to hospitals located in far off places, he said.

The medical institutions where the telemedicine facility would be introduced included primary health centres, community health centres, taluk hospitals, and district hospitals, he said.

The Minister noted that the Government had accorded priority to providing healthcare to people.

With this in view, as many as 204 hospitals across the State had been renovated and expanded at a cost of Rs. 605 crore. Over 1,000 doctors and 5,000 paramedical staff had been appointed. The bed strength had gone up from 35,000 to 45,000 since the project came into being, Mr. Thimmappa said.

The Minister called upon doctors to treat patients humanely. The doors of government hospitals should always remain open for the poor, he said.

The Health Ministry had issued instructions to all government hospitals to display the availability of medicine on the notice board.

If the prescribed medicine was available at the hospital, patients should not be asked to buy it from outside. Doctors found erring would be dealt with severely, Mr. Thimmappa warned.

The Minister directed the Deputy Commissioner, Srikant Valagad, who is also the Working President of the Health Care Committee of the district hospital, to hear people's grievances and take steps to redress them.

The district in-charge Minister, Suma Vasant, said more doctors and paramedical staff would be appointed soon. She called upon people to utilise the facilities at the hospital.

The Minister for Excise, M.M. Nanaiah, called upon the doctors to render prompt service to patients.

The President of the Kodagu Zilla Panchayat, Chitra Ramesh, the president of the Madikeri City Municipal Council, Kaveramma Somanna, the Vice-President, T.M. Aiyappa, the General Secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, Mittu Chengappa, the Chairman of the Karnataka Jungle Lodges and Resorts, M.G. Kuttappa, the President of the District Congress Committee, Veena Achaiah, the Superintendent of Police, Devajyoti Ray, the Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat, P.L. Budihal, the District Surgeon, Venkatesh, and the District Health and Family Welfare Officer, Vishwanath Kumar, were present.

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