COIMBATORE: The use of Information and Communication Technology for diagnosis, treatment and medical education has made transfer of medical information to the public easy. M. G. Bhat, Director, Department of Gastroenterology and Laparoscopic Surgery, Wockhardt Hospital, Bangalore, said here recently.

Inaugurating a teleconferencing and teletraining centre at the VG Hospital, he said that e-health was growing to such an extent that patients could be saved the trouble of visiting the hospital for getting treatment.

With the introduction of a teleconferencing facility at the hospital, many surgeons in the country and abroad would be able to share their expertise and also learn more about laparoscopic surgery, Dr. Bhat said.

There were about 10 active telemedicine units in the country that visited villages every day. With the help of satellite technology, the diagnosis and treatment were done at hospitals situated several kilometres away from the villages. Also, with this system, electronic medical records of the patients could be maintained. Transfer of these medical records from one hospital to another also could be made hassle-free, he said. The healthcare industry was the largest in India with about Rs.96,000 crore investment. However, there was still a need for a quality health care delivery system in the country, he observed. Now, there were only 1.3 beds per 1,000 people.

By 2015, the health care industry would grow by 15 per cent. In order to meet this requirement, private sector should work in co-ordination with the Government, he said.

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