Amidst the lockdown, even services from the hospitals have become tough to avail. It is reported that sanctions have been restricted on all services as part of the corona virus outbreak. The lockdown is known to affect all OP services except emergency cases. The public discontinuation in the wake of the lockdown made it difficult for patients to come to the hospitals.
Hence the government has made telecommunication facility available in this crucial time. As part of this initiative, the tele-consultancy facility will be available from May 1 at the prestigious NIMS Hospital in Hyderabad. Telemedicine treatment will be provided free of charge to patients with coronavirus.
Telemedicine consultation or (teleconsultation) had been in operation by doctors in India since the year 2000. Nevertheless, in the absence of statutory basis and approvals, it was not clear whether it was authentic or not. Indeed, there have been news reports that few State Medical Councils had banned the teleconsultation practice.
But recently on March 25th 2020, The Indian Government has published Telemedicine Practice Guidelines (“Telemedicine Guidelines”). These guidelines at any cost ensures India’s position on the legality of teleconsultation. It is now perfectly legal to provide teleconsultation by registered medical practitioners (M.B.B.S and above) in concordance with the necissities of the Telemedicine Guidelines and the doctor can guide the patient remotely via Skype or any video call too.
The treatment of telemedicine comprises General Medicine, Cardiology, Neurology, Nephrology and Rheumatology are provided by specialists. Appointment to the respective departments can me made on 040-23489244. However, there are specific timings when the patient has to reach out to the doctors. Any expert advice regarding ailments from the doctors is given from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm.