In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, Punjab Government has started telemedicine services in 300 HWCs (Health and Wellness Centres) to provide ‘Comprehensive Primary Health Services’ on door steps of people in rural areas.
Giving details, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Friday said that telemedicine services are being given in the State through hub and spoke model. A ‘Telemedicine Hub’ has been established at Civil Hospital, Mohali with four medical officers and one telemedicine executive. In next phase, number of medicals officers would be increased after assessing the response across the State while CDAC’s e-Sanjeevni telemedicine application is being used to roll out telemedicine program in the state.
Sidhu said that under this initiative, the Community Health Officers (CHOs) at HWC – sub center level connects with medical officers at the hub through video calling. The CHO then dispenses medicines to patient, based on prescription received through e-Sanjeevni app from the medical officer.
GOVT ASKS BANKS TO PROMOTE DIGITAL TRANSACTION, MAINTAIN VISITING CUSTOMERS PROPER LOG
Issuing a detailed advisory on maintaining hygiene and sanitization in banks to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, Punjab Government on Friday asked them to promote digital transaction, and maintain visiting customers’ proper log.
As per the advisory of the Health and Family Welfare Department, social distancing of at least one meter amongst the customers has been advised, besides asking the banks to ensure that all customers are wearing a mask before entering the branch, and sanitizes hands in the prescribed manner at the entrance. All banks have been advised to provide separate timings for senior citizens, women and other category of customers depending upon nature of accounts they hold.
Encouraging to launch a massive awareness campaign for promoting digital transactions, the government asked the banks to use electronic media to redress grievances or queries of its customers, use of mobile based apps for quick information on available balances or loans etc, and minimal human interface in physical bank branches.
The banks have also been asked to maintain a proper log of customers’ visit at the entry gate, including name, address, and phone number. The accomplices, if any, with the customer should be discouraged to enter the banks until absolutely necessary as in case of challenged customers.
IIT ROPAR DEVELOPS INFRARED VISION SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFICATION OF COVID-19 PERSONS
IIT Ropar has developed a prototype remote temperature mapping device for monitoring the infrared radiation emanating over human face and is looking for clinical tests by medical industry experts. The infrared vision system has the decision making capability to detect suspects based on relative temperature measurement over selected features of the face with self reference, which makes screening process easy and risk less unlike limited range hand held thermal imaging devices widely used presently at various crowed places with human involvement.
This infrared vision system measures wide range of temperatures with a pixel resolution of 160 X 120 and sensitivity of 70 mK. Further, the thermograms captured during screening process are exported to the processing unit wirelessly and the decision will be displayed almost in no time.
The present developed infrared vision system can make the self decisions in detecting the suspects without any human intervention by considering the relative temperature distribution over the selected features over the face region.
IIT Ropar team of researchers, Dr Ravibabu Mulaveesala, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering; Dr Vanita Arora, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Department of Electrical Engineering, in association with SS Automation Private Limited Bangalore MS Suresh and his team, developed this intelligent infrared vision system.