Telemedicine can fill critical gaps in healthcare and help curb diabetes

Diabetes does not discriminate. It can occur to anyone, anywhere. Be it a person residing in metropolitan cities or a person living in rural areas. The prevalence of diabetes is increasing incessantly, raising an alarming concern, particularly in remote rural areas. It is because diabetes awareness lags in rural India due to the lack of emergency medical services, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, shortage of medical professionals and deprivation from technological advancements, among others.

The scenario, however, is changing drastically. A person sitting in some far-off village can receive a timely diagnosis for diabetes and a medication prescription in some minute span because telemedicine has intervened in healthcare in rural areas profoundly.

Being the diabetes capital of the world, India is home to more than 70 million people living with the condition. But the burden of this chronic condition can be lessened. This is prominently needed in rural areas, where about 70 per cent of Indians reside.

Telemedicine is a branch of e-health that utilises communication networks for the delivery of healthcare services and medical education from one geographical location to another. Indian healthcare infrastructure has come a long way in rural areas due to the efforts of its proactive government through telemedicine vans or e-sanjeevani. One such initiative is Sehat, which was launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Defence and has been doing a great job in providing access to quality and affordable healthcare overcoming geographical boundaries.

Many healthcare setups that have been successful in defeating the disease follow the strategy around the three T’s: Test, Track, and Treat. Telemedicine is a boon to the healthcare system, as it diminishes the need for the patient to go to a clinic/hospital. This saves time, conveyance fees, and the risk of taking back home any healthcare-acquired infections, and is hassle-free than waiting in unending queues to procure an appointment, let alone the treatment process. This is largely the case with government hospitals. There is no denying the fact that for many diseases, diagnosis is only possible on physical examination necessitating the need for the patient and doctor to be in the same room. However, in other cases, online consultation has been found at par with in-person ones.

Telemedicine is helpful when an emergency arises and the primary healthcare centre is a distance away, which is a major concern in rural areas, and also when the patient has no one to accompany.

Though telemedicine has reached rural India, it is still in its infancy when it comes to it being a regular practice. It is mostly during government-run campaigns when people are educated on the latest technologies and preventive measures for their well-being.

Telemedicine can only work as long as there is easy access to smartphones for everyone. Coming out of the vicious cycle of poverty is the need of the hour for many rural Indians. Another concern is that the efforts by the Government and private organisations can only be effective when there is acceptance of innovative methods and active participation by both players—the general public and doctors.

The good thing is that the condition is bound to improve with the advent of 5G technology in India as the penetration of digital services will increase manifold in the remotest of areas across the country. In addition, the Government is leaving no stone unturned to achieve its mission to become ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’. Moreover, a populous country like ours demands a synergistic approach, where people leave their differences behind and come forward to work for a bigger cause.

(Author is a senior diabetologist, National Executive Council Member, RSSDI)