Apollo to offer tele-medicine to Sabarmati jail inmates

Prison inmates at Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad are all set to receive medical treatment through satellite connectivity. Healthcare group Apollo Hospitals will launch its 'telemedicine' facility at the jail, to provide telemedicine consultations to its inmates. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will provide the technology for the treatment, an official from the hospital said.

The move comes in the backdrop of the difficulties faced by jail authorities and hospitals in treating ailing prisoners leading to security threats and transportation issues. A similar concept was introduced in Tihar Jail in 2001 to avoid sending notorious criminals outside the prison. "Apollo Hospitals wanted to provide a solution to the issues faced by ailing inmates at Sabarmati Jail every time they needed to see a specialist.

A lot of money is spent on their transportation, security, besides the anxiety of the prisoners moving out. With the help of ISRO, we aim to provide medical treatment to the jail authorities using satellite connectivity. The jail will set up a telemedicine centre and connect with our doctors, who will give expert treatment to prisoners who are suffering from an ailment," according to the official.

While preliminary guidance will be given to the patients through telemedicine, prisoners who need further treatment, if necessary, can later visit the specialist, thus eliminating major risks and costs for the jail. Telemedicine is the concept where medical information is transferred through the phone, satellite technology or video-conferencing to conduct actual consultation between medical specialist and patients.