The government's National Telemedicine Service, eSanjeevani, has clocked 1.4 crore consultations so far, with Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu among the 10 states that have made maximum use of the service, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.
Operating in two modes -- eSanjeevaniAB-HWC and eSanjeevaniOPD -- this initiative of the Centre has over the time gained immense popularity in being able to deliver healthcare services through digital platforms.
While the eSanjeevaniAB-HWC has accounted for more than 85 lakh consultations, 55,62,897 consultations have been reported in the eSanjeevaniOPD platform, according to the ministry.
Leading 10 states in terms of adoption of eSanjeevani are Andhra Pradesh (47,28,131), Karnataka (25,73,609), Tamil Nadu (16,30,795), Uttar Pradesh (14,13,257), Gujarat (5,11,338), Bihar (4,74,959), Madhya Pradesh (4,71,509), West Bengal (4,60,167), Maharashtra (4,29,558), Uttarakhand (2,86,012).
The eSanjeevani AB-HWC (a doctor-to-doctor teleconsultation system) launched with an intent to alleviate the urban-rural divide in terms of health services works on a hub-and-spoke model.
The 'Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres' (HWCs) set up at state level, act as spokes, which are mapped with the hub (comprising MBBS/ specialty/super-specialty doctors) at zonal level, the ministry said in a statement.
This enables a patient residing in a rural area to avail quality health services. The eSanjeevaniAB-HWC has accounted for 85,02,926 consultations, it added.
A total of 1,55,000 health and wellness centres will be on-boarded as spokes by December 2022. Currently, 28,450 HWCs are working as spokes, the statement said.
The eSanjeevani OPD, launched on April 13, 2021, aims to provide safe doctor-to-patient consultations. It also has continued to grow in demand as it allows citizens to consult doctors from the comfort and in the confines of their homes, bypassing wait time, travel, risks of infection, etc.
It has completed 55,62,897 consultations. The eSanjeevani OPD is available as a mobile app for both iOS and android smartphones.
The eSanjeevani platform as a whole is addressing the shortage of doctors and specialists at the ground levels, while also reducing the burden on secondary and tertiary level hospitals, the statement read.
In line with the newly launched Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission, this initiative aims to constantly improve the digital health infrastructure of the country.
The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Mohali provides holistic support to the users of the National Telemedicine Service.
"With the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the team at C-DAC Mohali is dedicatedly and continually improving the service by enhancing various aspects of eSanjeevani. A wider and deeper adaptability by all the states and Union Territories is also being ensured, the statement added.
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