Himachal Pradesh TeleHealth Services project with National Health Mission, Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Himachal Pradesh
The HP-THS program is a first-of-its-kind innovation in Indian healthcare service delivery. The initiative serves locations 14,931 feet above sea level in the Himalayan mountain range that urgently required emergency, specialty, and super-specialty consultation services. It was first developed as a technology-enabled proof-of-concept service delivery model, but it has since gained experience and is now prepared to be scaled up to other remote regions of the country. Information and Communication Technology powered Telemedicine solution was initially provided to two State Government hospitals in Keylong and Kaza in 2015, servicing a population of 34,000 people. At the Killar Pangi Civil Hospital in Killar, Pangi Valley, a third telemedicine center was established in 2018, and at the Bharmour Civil Hospital in Bharmour, Chamba, a fourth telemedicine center was set up in 2019. With the help of online, real-time, and remote peripheral diagnostics, the application enables patients to receive consultations through video conferencing from a distance. This program uses dedicated satellite bandwidth access to connect the Emergency and Specialty experts from Apollo Hospitals with the Regional hospital in Keylong, the Community Health Center in Kaza, and the Civil Hospitals in Killar, and Bharmour through RF connection.
The objective of this telemedicine program is to provide a conducive environment and offer the necessary healthcare support system in rural and challenging-to-access healthcare institutions. People can now access critical health care services in their own communities courtesy of this program. Emergency patients are now stabilized before being sent to secondary or tertiary medical facilities which thereby improves quality of life and contributes to lifesaving. The program has lessened the need for patients to travel long distances for healthcare, saving them time, effort, and money. Distance has lost all significance, and geography has become history!
TeleHealth services have become an integral part of existing healthcare facilities and have gained widespread acceptance from the residents of Lahaul and Spiti and the Chamba district. Telehealth services continue to provide specialty consultations to the residents, effectively tackle emergencies, and save lives each day.
