K’taka to soon provide telemedicine in remote areas: Minister

IANS

Mysuru, 20 Oct 2020: Telemedicine would soon be provided to people living in remote areas across Karnataka amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan said on Monday.

 

“Telemedicine facilities will be made available in rural and remote areas across the state to contain the coronavirus spread in collaboration with the state IT department,” Narayan told reporters here.

 

The Mysuru-based Skanray Healthcare firm will set up telemedicine facilities in remote villages to provide healthcare, including check-up and treatment, in collaboration with the state health department.

 

“A tele-command centre will be set up in partnership with the state-run Keonics (Karnataka State Electronics Corporation Ltd) for providing medical services in remote areas, as the pandemic has disrupted the health sector,” Narayan, who holds the IT, biotech and science and technology portfolios, said.

 

Using a dedicated satellite of ISRO, telemedicine is the distribution of health-related services through information and communication technologies (ICTs).

 

The facility allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring and remote admissions.

 

Meanwhile, Narayan said that Congress leader Siddaramaiah had no moral right to speak against the state government on the handling of the flash floods in the state’s northern and northwest regions.

 

“It is unfortunate that Siddaramaiah is playing politics over the flood situation instead of joining the state government in the rescue and relief operations. We have deployed army troops and teams of the state and national disaster response forces for shifting the marooned people in the affected districts to safer places and relief camps,” Narayan said.