Thiruvananthapuram : E-Sanjeevani doctor-to-doctor services shall be extended to all districts, said Health Minister Veena George. The doctor-to-doctor service began at Koxhikode District Hospital initially and served over 200 patients in its first month. Encouraged by success there , the project will now be commence in six more districts namely Ernakulam, Malappuram, Alappuzha, Kasaragod and Kottayam.
Under the scheme, patient arriving at Primary health Centres, Family Health Centres, NCD Clinics can avail various medical treatments from specialized doctors right from their first places of visit without having to go to District Hospitals and Medical Colleges. This will help reducte strain and rush experienced by the district hospitals and medical colleges presently. E-Sanjeevani Doctor-to-Doctor Tele medicine services are patterned after the hub and spoke method in which services are disseminated from a centralised place and inputs received, the minister said.
Here, the pool of specialists doctors at medical colleges and district hospitals act as the hub and the spoke are taluk hospitals, family health centres, primary health centres and so on. Instead of getting refereed to district hospitals and medical colleges, patients can avail specialized treatment sitting at their nearby healthcare unit.
Notwithstanding the services from hub and spoke system, people can also avail services of field workers such as palliative care nurses and mid-level service providers. Thus, those not in need of emergency referrals can avail specialist services by visiting spoke in their proximity, the minister said.
