Telemedicine centre to aid of Spiti residents

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, May 30

Apollo Telemedicine Centre at Kaza in Lahaul-Spiti district is proving to be a boon for residents of the Spiti valley.

The centre was set up in April 2015 to provide medical care on the doorstep of residents. As many as 9,480 persons have availed this facility since April 2015 to till date.

Sources said most key roads in the region remained blocked to vehicular movement during winter months. It was difficult for the residents of the Spiti valley to avail medical facility in such a situation. Therefore, a telemedicine centre was set up at Kaza to ensure timely treatment to residents.

Sher Singh, a Spiti resident, said whenever required, employees of the telemedicine centre connect patients with medical experts through videoconferencing. “We feel fortunate to have this facility in this remote region of Himachal round the year,” he added.

Lama Buteeth, a health coordinator at the centre, said, “There are 172 types of medicines that are provided free of cost to patients as per the doctor’s prescription. We connect patients with doctors via videoconferencing.” she remarked.

Buteeth said earlier, they had organised awareness camps on regular intervals to make people aware about the importance of the telemedicine facility.

She said 17 types of diagnostic tests were also performed at this centre.