ESIC launches Telemedicine Pilot project at Katihar, Unnao and Rudrapur

Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has launched the first phase of Telemedicine Pilot project for providing specialist medical services at a distance to insured workers.

The Telemedicine Pilot project was inaugurated by Bandaru Dattatreya, the minister of state for labour and employment.

The pilot project connects ESIC Model Hospital Basaidarapur with three ESIS dispensaries at Katihar (Bihar), Unnao (Uttar Pradesh), and Rudarpur (Uttaranchal). As the three dispensaries came live on line, the minister interacted with staff and patients at these centres.

ESIC has launched an ambitious pilot project of Tele-Medicine Services at 11 ESI locations in coordination with C-DAC, Mohali under the aegis of "Digital Inclusive and Smart Community (DISC)" which is a part of Digital India Programme of government of India.

In all, three specialized ESIC Hospitals will be connected with eight ESI dispensaries at remote locations of the country where there are no specialized ESI healthcare services available. Today one hospital and three dispensaries have been connected. In second and third phase rest of the two hospitals and five dispensaries will be connected by month end thereby providing specialized health care services at the doorsteps of the IPs and their family members.

These include hospital at Rajaji Nagar in Bengaluru to be connected to dispensaries at Korba and Khursipar Bhilai in Chhattisgarh. The other hospital Joka in Kolkata to be connected to dispensaries at Shillong, Agartala and Andaman & Nicobar.