Bengal tops country in telemedicine system

MP, 15 July 2024, Kolkata: Bengal topped the country in providing healthcare through its online telemedicine system ‘Swastha Ingit’ that is catering to 1 lakh patients daily which is higher than states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala which are known for their excellent healthcare infrastructure. 

Health department sources said the telemedicine facility has been extended to 4.04 crore people in Bengal since its inception in August 2021. 

The facilities are available in over 10000 state hospitals and health centres in the state. Women have been greatly benefitted by these facilities which is evident from the fact that 63 per cent of the fairer sex have been beneficiaries of telemedicine. 

The percentage of males availing the facility is 37 per cent. As per figures of June, doctor consultation through telemedicine service has been the highest in Murshidabad, Kalimpong and East Burdwan. Rampurhat, which is a health district, has also caught up with the three districts by improving its performance by 22 per cent. 

The districts that performed below expectation are Birbhum, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri. The maximum people who have opted for Swastha Ingit belong to the age group of 35-59. 

However, in Kolkata the highest number of telemedicine services are being provided from the urban primary health centres. 

About 85,000 odd people are consulting doctors through telemedicine through these centres.