Mansukh Mandaviya asks states to focus on teleconsultation

The review meeting comes at a time the country is battling a third wave of Covid-19 fuelled by the Omicron variant.

On Tuesday, Mandaviya held a detailed review meeting with state health ministers and principal secretaries of UP, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, and Ladakh. “In view of a substantial number of Active Cases across the country recuperating from COVID19 in home isolation, it is important to focus on expanding the reach of teleconsultation services for providing timely quality healthcare to the beneficiaries,” Mandaviya told the states.

The Minister underscored the need for states to adopt a model to scale up teleconsultation services as the outbreak, led by the Omicron variant, continues to surge in most parts of the country.

“This will prove to be a game-changer and will be of immense value and importance for the hard-to-reach and far-flung areas, and especially in the northern regions in the current winter season… States need to ensure that these (teleconsultation) centres work 24X7 and ensure convenience for both the common public and health experts. To ensure minimum travelling, such expert advice can be provided at the block, secondary or primary health centre levels too,” he said.

He reiterated that the states should monitor Covid-19 patients in home isolation to ensure that those vulnerable to serious illness get adequate help.