With practically nil usage of the e-SanjeevaniOPD teleconsultation app by residents of Dakshina Kannada in September, the number has gradually increased and till November 6, there were 83 users of the facility.
The e-SanjeevaniOPD app of the Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare started offering teleconsultation services in September. This app has been helpful, more so, for senior citizens, to speak to doctors about their health problems and get necessary medication.
As many as 24 specialist doctors from the Government Wenlock Hospital here are among the 100 from the State who are answering queries of patients every day between 10.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.
A patient has to download the app from PlayStore using an Android mobile phone. After entering the mobile number and other details, including about ailment, the patient will get a token. Within seconds, he will receive a video call from the doctor available. Following consultation, the doctor will send an e-prescripton to the patient.
“Practically, there were no callers from the district in the first month. It is gradually picking up. Now, there are 83 from the district who have made use of the facility,” said Sadananda Poojary, urologist from Wenlock Hospital, who is among the 24 doctors from the hospital involved in this project. Dr. Poojary is the district coordinator for this tele-consultation project.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Rural District leads with 1,678 users. Among other districts making good use of the facility include Bengaluru Urban (676 users), Uttara Kannada (621) and Chitradurga (516). A dermatologist from Wenlock Hospital has so far attended to 1,000 patients, Dr. Poojary told The Hindu.
To make more people in the district use the facility, Dr. Poojary said that Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwifes (ANMs) have been told to create awareeness about the app and its operation among people in their work areas. His interview about the app was recently aired in the Krishi Darshana programme of AIR, Mangaluru, he said.