Tele-consultation service ‘e-Sanjeevani’ amid Covid in Sundargarh

Rourkela, April 21: Amid Covid-19, patients need not visit higher health facilities to consult with specialist doctors. They can avail specialist advice through 'e-Sanjeevani' tele-consultation service by visiting their nearest Health & Wellness Centres (HWC). In Sundargarh district, people are largely benefiting from this programme. 'e-Sanjeevani' has been launched by the National Health Mission in view of the Covid pandemic. At present, patients are being offered 3 day counsel per week on General Medicine (Monday), Paediatrics (Wednesday) and Gynaecology (Friday) through ‘e-Sanjeevani’. For a variety of ailments, patients often have to go to higher health facilities to seek advice of senior and specialist doctors. So looking at the risk of Covid infection, the ‘e-Sanjeevani’ tele-consultation service has now come to the rescue. The patients are advised to visit to a nearby Health and Wellness Centre where the officials can connect with the specialists at leading government hospitals in the district using the tele-consultation facilities available. The service is operational at sub-hubs like District Headquarter Hospital (DHH, Sundargarh), Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH), Rourkela Additional District Urban Health Centre (ADUPHC) along with Kuarmunda, Bargaon, Sargipali, Majhapada, Birkera, Mangsapur and Kutra Community Health Centre (CHC). These sub-hubs are connected to the nearest Health and Wellness Centres via internet. The patients who visit to the HWCs are facilitated to consult directly with specialist doctors available at the higher health institutions. The Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (VIMSAR) in Burla has been taken as the main hub for tele-consulting services in the region. Therefore, where necessary, patients of Sundargarh district also get the opportunity to seek medical advice of experts at VIMSAR using 'e-Sanjeevani' available at the HWC. "Due to ‘e-Sanjeevani’, the CHCs & District HQ Hospital, Sundargarh have been able to control the crowds. Patients get benefit of top medical advice through this digital facility. Patients also get free medicine under Niramaya”, said Dr. Purna Chandra Sahu, DMO and Medical Superintendent of the DHH Sundargarh. Computers, webcams, microphones, speakers and printers have been provided to various health centres in the district to strengthen ‘e-Sanjeevani’ service. The local doctor has been assigned as the nodal officer for the tele-consultation service