Private doctors roped in for free teleconsultation

Haryana Polity and Governance

30-May-21

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In order to provide telemedicine services to citizens, Naraingarh SDM Dr Vaishali Sharma and local IMA members have come out with the ‘Hello Doctor’ initiative at the sub-division level.
They have engaged private practitioners to provide free teleconsultation. Doctors will give consultation through WhatsApp in two shifts of five hours a day.
The SDM, who has served as medical officer in the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre of the Bulandshahr District Hospital, observed that there was a lot of panic among the general public about medicines, oxygen cylinders and other things. They were irrationally taking steroids, antibiotics and antivirals because they were not able to take proper consultation from a skilled doctor. Government doctors were overburdened with vaccination, sampling and door-to-door visits to monitor the home-isolated that even they were not able to devote much time to the OPD consultation. So the district administration thought of involving local private practitioners for teleconsultation.
Naraingarh IMA came forward to support the district administration and give their services for free. They have made a roster so that various specialist doctors can give their services for a defined duration.
Doctors will be available five hours a day from 10 am to 1 pm and then from 4 pm to 6 pm. After consultation, the prescription will be sent through WhatsApp.
It will help in curbing the panic, reduce stress in hospitals and also provide timely consultation to residents as per their convenience.