Singapore has made an outsourcing agreement with an Indian firm for sending x-ray results that will save the costs and benefits patients and doctors as well. Under the agreement the x-rays taken there will be sent electronically to India to get the results in a faster manner.
Under the National Healthcare Group's (NHG's) agreement with India's Teleradiology Solutions, a polyclinic has been sending about 700 X-rays a month to Bangalore.Trained radiologists analyze each one, make diagnoses and send them back, reported the Straits Times.
By April, the Indian doctors will take over the reading of X-rays from two or three more NHG polyclinics and eventually from all of them.
The biggest beneficiaries are the patients, who can now get their X-ray results the same day. At other polyclinics, they need to wait two weeks.
"This move saves the patient a trip, a second consultation fee and a day's productivity at work," a health ministry spokesman was quoted as saying.
The public medical sector carries out more than one million X-rays a year. Experts say the more sophisticated CT scan, ultrasound and MRI images may also find their way to India.
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"The Indian reports are quite detailed," sai Winnie Soon, a senior family physician. "This is very helpful to patients who want to know more."
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--DPA
