Odisha hospitals asked to set up 24X7 telemedicine facility

Bhubaneswar: At a time when there has been surge in Covid cases, the Odisha government directed medical colleges and hospitals, district headquarters hospitals, Capital Hospital and RGH Hospital to create round-the-clock control room for coordination of telemedicine services.

In an order, the Directorate of Health Services asked the hospitals to make a roster arrangement of the faculties, specialists and medical officers available to ensure the telemedicine services.

Each district hospital and medical college and hospitals, Capital Hospital and RGH Hospital will form a committee headed by a nodal officer who will coordinate the telemedicine services, the order stated.

The WhatsApp number of the nodal officers and the service provider may please be kept in record at the control rooms for coordination, it read.

Telemedicine services at SCB MCH, Cuttack; MKCG MCH, Berhampur and VIMSAR, Burla, Acharaya Harihar Post-Graduate institute of Cancer and SVPPGIP, Cuttack will be available round-the-clock and staff arrangement will be made accordingly.

In the four new Medical College and Hospitals in Balasore, Baripada, Balangir and Koraput, and Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar and RGH Rourkela, the services will be available from 8 AM to 5 PM.

For PHC-HWCs and UPHC-HWCs the timing will be as per the OPD timing i.e., 8 AM to 12 Noon and 4 PM to 6 PM.

The telemedicine facility under DMHP will be continued actively on from 8 AM to 5 PM.

The ongoing activity under e-Sanjeevani will be ensured as per the timing fixed.