Kolkata, Sep 17 (IANS) In its efforts to extend quality healthcare to employees, both serving and retired, as well as their dependents, Eastern Railway (ER) has launched telemedicine facilities at its health units.
Through this facility, patients get access to healthcare specialists at the premier B R Singh Hospital in Sealdah. The latest telemedicine unit was inaugurated on Thursday at the Sonarpur Health Unit in South 24-Parganas.
The facility was inaugurated in the presence of Nataraj Basappa, principal chief medical director, ER, Rajeev Saxena, divisional railway manager, Sealdah, Debasis Guha, medical director, and Kalpana Mandal, chief medical superintendent, B R Singh Hospital.
“With this addition, telemedicine services have now been extended to the Naihati and Gholsapur Health Units, in addition to the facilities already available at Ranaghat, Barasat and Berhampore. This expansion will help connect patients at health units in different parts of the division with medical specialists at B R Singh Hospital,” an official said.
“The telemedicine facility has been introduced keeping in mind patients who may find it difficult or inconvenient to travel to B R Singh Hospital, Sealdah, for specialised treatment. Through this facility, patients visiting the Sonarpur Health Unit can directly interact with specialist doctors at B. R. Singh Hospital through teleconsultation, discuss their health concerns and receive expert medical advice without having to undertake a difficult journey. The initiative aims to make specialist healthcare more convenient, accessible and patient-friendly,” he added.
This will also help reduce footfalls at the OPD of the Sealdah Hospital, easing administrative pressure. Officials have not written off the possibility of minor surgeries (that do not require hospitalisation) being undertaken at the health units through teleconferencing in the future.
A multi-specialty health check-up camp was also organised at Sonarpur Health Unit on the occasion. Employees and beneficiaries were provided health consultations by specialists from various departments, such as eye, dental, and gynaecology.
The beneficiaries also underwent overall medical screening. The expansion of telemedicine services reflects Sealdah Division’s continued efforts to bring quality healthcare closer to its employees and beneficiaries and to make medical consultation easier and more accessible, Saxena said.
–IANS
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