Biocon proposes telemedicine services in Odisha

Bangalore-based Biocon Ltd, a global bio-pharmaceutical enterprise, has proposed to create infrastructure for offering telemedicine services in rural areas of Odisha. The initiative aims to offer employment to unemployed rural youth.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairman-cum-managing director, Biocon called on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and presented a detailed proposal.

The company intends to help unemployed youths in setting up of diagnostic centres by providing technical assistance and training. Also, it has plans to create a network of health services in rural areas of the state.

"By creating such network, we can build an excellent database regarding sound health and diseases which will enable the government to formulate health related schemes," stated a release from the Chief Minister's Office, quoting Shaw.

The activities of these diagnostic centres would include tele-consultation for preliminary diagnosis, pre-surgical investigations, post-surgical follow-ups, scheduling appointment for hospital visits, tele-pathology, tele-radiology, tele-ophthalmology, video conferencing for expert opinion and patient counselling.

The state government assured Shaw that Biocon's proposal will be considered actively.

"Had a very good meeting with CM Naveen Patnaik on e-healthcare where Odisha is doing some pioneering work. Biocon Foundation is supporting", Shaw tweeted post her meeting here.

Biocon Foundation had earlier proposed to be part of the PPP (public private partnership) initiative of Odisha Trust of Technical Education and Training (OTTET) to implement the project which will take place without any capital investment by the government.

In order to give access to healthcare at the doorstep to people living in far flung areas of 51,000 villages of Odisha and to bridge the demand-supply gap using modern information and communication based telemedicine technology, the state health department had introduced the initiative a couple of years back.