Telemedicine Centre in Vizag to help citizens fight coronavirus

In the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, launched the Dr YSR Telemedicine Programme in the state. The aim of this programme is to facilitate online access to the services of doctors. In line with the Chief Minister’s directive, a Telemedicine Centre has been set up within the premises of Andhra Medical College (AMC) in Vizag.

On Tuesday, Visakhapatnam District Collector, V Vinay Chand (IAS), visited the facility and monitored the functioning of the centre along with the AMC Principal, Dr PV Sudhakar. The Telemedicine Centre in Vizag will be open from 8 AM to 6 PM every day. People with symptoms of COVID-19 can give a missed call to the toll-free number, 14410. An executive stationed at the facility will get back to collect the details. The information will be passed on to the team of doctors which includes three general physicians, a paediatrician, a gynaecologist, and a pulmonologist.

A medical professional will interact with the caller through audio or video conference. Required medicines, and tests, will be informed to the patients via a text message. Later on, the prescribed medicines will be sent to the patient through the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM) representatives or volunteers. COVID-19 symptomatic patients will be sent to the nearest Primary Health Care (PHC) centre, or a government hospital, for further treatment. The Telemedicine Centre will provide the online consultation services to three districts including Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.