Swasthya Bhawan has decided to project the telemedicine department of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital (BMCH) as a model for replication across other government-run medical college hospitals in West Bengal, following its outstanding performance and ranking as the top telemedicine centre in the state.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is credited with conceptualising the project, has also expressed her delight in a recent post.
Telemedicine services were initially introduced during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The state government later launched the full-scale version in May 2022 under the ‘SasthyaIngit 2.0’ initiative, simultaneously rolling it out across 17 other medical colleges.
A few days ago, a high-level delegation from Swasthya Bhawan, Salt Lake, visited the BMCH telemedicine department. They interacted with doctors, paramedical staff, nurses, and patients, and also recorded video footage to document and showcase the department’s successful implementation for wider adoption across the state.
Dr Ritam Roy, the nodal officer of the telemedicine department at BMCH, explained that patients from remote areas connect via Community Health Officers (CHOs) based at block-level centres. The CHOs forward case histories and medical records to BMCH specialists, who then review the information and recommend treatment and medications.
Speaking to The Statesman, Dr Roy said: “On average, around 1,000 patients are served daily by the telemedicine department, with consultations conducted via audio-visual communication. If necessary, we call patients in for further examinations and consultation at the BMCH outpatient department, depending on the seriousness of the condition.”
On the day of the delegation’s visit, the department had provided free consultations to 1,078 patients.
Dr Tapas Ghosh, superintendent of BMCH, stated: “The credit goes to the entire team. We are all elated that the department has achieved the top rank in the state. We have long been leaders in telemedicine consultancy, and now, with Swasthya Bhawan recognising us as a model department, it’s a moment of immense pride. Specialist doctors work in two shifts to provide uninterrupted service to patients even in the most remote corners of the district.”
The BMCH telemedicine department operates from the third floor of the new building and provides services across nine specialisations: Ophthalmology, dermatology, gynaecology, surgery, general medicine, paediatrics, orthopaedics, ENT, and psychiatry. Services run from Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, in two shifts, and remain closed on Sundays.
It has been learnt that Swasthya Bhawan is planning to produce a documentary and PowerPoint presentation to help replicate the success of BMCH’s Sasthya Ingit 2.0 model in other state-run medical colleges.
On Doctors’ Day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted on her official X handle:
“Proud to share that ‘SwasthyaIngit’, a unique telemedicine initiative of our Health Department, GoWB, has achieved yet another milestone by providing 6 crore tele-consultations since its launch in August 2021. Today, this service is available at more than 10,000 SuSwasthya Kendras, making healthcare accessible in the remotest parts of the state. Specialised services in neurology, nephrology, cardiology, oncology, and paediatrics are now available in these areas thanks to this initiative. On this milestone day, I congratulate our doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, and everyone involved in making this success possible.”