Punjab Telemedicine Project Enters Grand Second Phase

The Punjab health minister, Lakshmi Kanta Chawla recently inaugurated a digital link between Mohali Civil Hospital, PGI Chandigarh, Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) and C-DAC

The telemedicine project in Mohali provides medical facilities and expert medical opinions of specialists in remote locations.

The second phase of the expansion of the telemedicine project in Punjab facilitates

medical professionals sitting at distant places to receive data from the civil hospital related with diagnostic test reports, X-rays and other information.

Sub-Divisional Hospital Ajnala, Amritsar, Government Mata Kaushalya Hospital Patiala, Sub-Divisional Hospital, Dasuya, Hoshiarpur are government hospitals which are connected to PGI Chandigarh with the help of V-SAT technology under Phase I.

Chawla said that it was for the first time that the telemedicine concept has been implemented in Punjab through Broad Band VPN technology.

The minister assured that the up gradation work of the Mohali hospital to a 200-bed hospital will be taken up at the earliest.

The minister further added that trials of video conferencing and transfer of patient data have been successful and data can be transferred using the software called E-Sanjeevani, which has been developed by C-DAC Mohali."

To enhance the telemedicine concept in Punja a total outlay of Rs 414 lakh has been sanctioned for the project by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Department of IT (Medical Electronic and Telemedicine Division).

Three medical colleges and 20 hospitals are covered under the project and will be connected to PGI and other medical colleges in Punjab. This platform will provide discussions with the patients in district hospitals.

Medical institutions will also provide medical education to doctors through this project.

Source-Medindia
SPH/M