The plan for introduction of telemedicine facilities in various hospitals and CHCs across the state will be no doubt something to cheer about. As an apt supplement to existing and conventional systems of health delivery service mechanisms in Arunachal Pradesh, it can bring perceptible changes in overall health scenario since it is armed with technology which saves patients from being physically present in a face-to-face mode with medical practitioners. Keeping in view of the limitations that are starkly visible in health delivery outreach scenario of the state, it can be said that telemedicine can be a sensible choice, if pursued seriously. But at the same time a question mark over this proposal will invariably crop up as an unwelcomed guest, since its successful continuity will depend to a great extent on the availability of uninterrupted internet connection, an area where the state is yet to square up things in a comprehensive manner.

Even if silently, telemedicine is already a couple of decades old in India and has picked up noticeable momentum particularly in the last decade, thanks to ISRO which has made technologies, the actual building blocks of this new-age choice available to masses. In a non-technical way, telemedicine can be understood as delivering clinical health care to individuals by usage of telecommunication and information technology, irrespective of distance between health care expert and patients, however large it may be. So far, it has proved to be a great boon for rural populace who so often remain deprived of specialty healthcare. But now, quality healthcare ranging from basic to critical is well within their reach due to telemedicine with government, private hospitals and NGOs getting more involved in the process and bringing newer zones in its fold. And with advancement of satellite technologies and penetration of internet in remotest parts, telemedicine has surpassed all expectations since even highly critical medical cases that require supplementary support of various diagnostic reports are now being handled with greater confidence. More importantly, it has been estimated that cost of this  quality treatment and medical consultation through telemedicine comes at almost one-tenth of the cost entailed in a conventional physical medical care setup.  

It’s a silent revolution that is taking place in the nation’s healthcare canvas, packed with so many solid features. It will doubtlessly be of great sagacity for Arunachal if it goes all out for its introduction and flourish. But since the most basic to a telemedicine practice is a secure broadband internet connection with speed being the determining factor of video quality of the patient-doctor tele-conferencing, its success will rely hugely upon this factor.

It can thus be said that for making telemedicine a success in state, a healthy and penetrative internet ecosystem is a sine qua non.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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