Telemedicine link with all DHHs soon

BHUBANESWAR: Hit by shortage of specialists in periphery hospitals, the State Government has initiated steps to connect all District Headquarters Hospitals (DHHs) with SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) at Cuttack to avail facilities under the telemedicine network.
Though the telemedicine network was functional in three medical colleges and hospitals at Cuttack, Burla and Berhampur and those were attached to DHHs in the respective zones, the Health and Family Welfare Department will soon link all DHHs with SCBMCH.

“This will help patients in consulting specialist physicians without visiting the medical college and hospital. Disease diagnosis and follow up of rural patients by making available medical diagnostics will be easier in the areas that are affected by vacancies of trained personnel,” said a health official.
The Government is also keen on producing more nurses in the coming years. As adequate number of trained nurses under SC/ST category are not available, the Health Department has stepped up process to review their enrolment in nursing institutions across the State.

Director of Nursing has been asked to collect data related to the admission and pass out of SC/ST students from ANM and GNM nursing schools besides conducting a study of the status of the enrolment of students from different categories.“It is a concern as to why there is a dearth of students from the reserved category despite the annual scholarship facility for both ANM and GNM courses. The director will study the reasons behind inadequate admission of students from the enrolmentategory,” the official said.

Apart from taking steps to provide dedicated power supply to the newly-opened medical colleges at Koraput and Baripada, the Health Department has directed to initiate similar measures for the upcoming medical colleges at Balasore, Balangir and Puri.Meanwhile, the Government has decided to upgrade some area hospitals and sub-centres to Primary Health Centres (PHCs). A committee headed by Director of National Health Mission (NHM) and comprising Director of Health Services and Director of Family Welfare as members has been formed to check eligibility criteria.