Nagaland launches Naga Telehealth aiming at providing affordable healthcare services

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 9 (EMN): Online doctor consultation market is expected to witness a significant increase over the years with telehealth becoming an essential tool in enhancing healthcare services in the backdrop of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. With an aim to provide remote healthcare services to the people of the state, the government of Nagaland launched Naga Telehealth on Wednesday.

The minister of Health and Family Welfare, S Pangnyu Phom, said during the launch of Naga Telehealth, in his office chamber at the Civil Secretariat complex, Kohima, that ‘time has come to be innovative in service delivery to reach out to the people’.

Naga Telehealth is an initiative of the government of Nagaland in partnership with USAID, NISHTHA and Jhpiego. Telehealth is a method wherein communication technologies like computers and mobile phones are used to delivery healthcare, public health and health education services.

Phom maintained that innovative technology-based solutions for service delivery are needed for the people, especially for families and communities living in remote areas so that they can access qualified doctors for general and specialised consultations.

“This platform (Naga Telehealth) will be established across all health and wellness centres in the state through a hub-and-spoke model to reach the catchment population,” he said.

The minister expressed confidence that the initiative will ensure quality, affordable healthcare services to the people of Nagaland, irrespective of their locations. He also acknowledged USAID, NISHTHA and Jhpiego for their support towards the initiative.

Speaking on the occasion, secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Wezope Kenye said that ‘technology has played a crucial role in keeping everyone connected in these unprecedented times’.

He stated that telemedicine has provided an enabling tool by maintaining ‘patient continuity’, management of patients and also ensuring continuity of essential health services during the Covid-19. He expressed confidence that through Naga Telehealth, telemedicine will be able to bring quality health and wellness closer to the communities.

Kenye also urged the community health officers (CHOs) and ANMs to make use of the platform to ensure that people living in remote areas are able to avail the services of trained and qualified doctors within their communities.

Delivering the keynote address, the mission director of National Health Missions (NHM), Dr. Kevichusa Medikhru, maintained that Naga Telehealth will bring ‘health and wellness closer to the community’.

He stated that Covid-19 pandemic has brought in unprecedented challenges to the healthcare system including disruption of essential healthcare services on a daily basis. It has also restricted people from travelling, and fear of getting infection has also stopped people from visiting healthcare facilities for their routine health check-ups.

“Telemedicine has emerged as an innovative solution for service delivery to people in need. Also, technology platforms will be beneficial for triaging Covid-19 patients, service delivery to non-critical Covid-19 cases as well as to manage essential health care services at primary level,” Medikhru said.

He informed that the state government’s collaboration with technical partner USAID, NISHTHA and Jhpiego for Naga Telehealth will provide quality healthcare services at Ayushman Bharat – health and wellness centres (HWCs), stating that the services will be launched in a phased manner.

The officials also asserted that it is currently rolling out in 82 sub-health centres (SHCs), which will be connected to medical officers at primary health centres (PHCs) and districts of Nagaland for general tele-consultation. He added that there is also a provision of referral and tele-consultation with specialist doctors with support from Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR), Dimapur.

He maintained that with the extended support from USAID, NISTHA and Jhpiego, the state will be able to fulfil the conditionality criteria laid out by the government of India for Ayushman Bharat – health and wellness centres.

Further, the mission director also urged the community health officers, medical officers, specialist doctors and chief medical officers to extend their support to making the initiative a success.

The director, health office, USAID, Sangita Patel, emphasised on the need for strengthening primary healthcare through health and wellness centres in order to create an affordable and accessible primary healthcare system, which will be better prepared to manage future public health threats and improve the health outcomes of the marginalised and vulnerable sections of the society.

The programme, which was virtually held to connect with dignitaries and participants, was moderated by state nodal officer of telemedicine, Dr. Manyau Phom.

Naga Telehealth roll-out

Meanwhile the Health department informed that Naga Telehealth platform will be rolled out in a phased manner and would cover the targeted health and wellness centres in all the 12 districts during the financial year 2020-21.

Regarding the model, it informed that the platform will work on a ‘hub-and-spoke’ approach and connect medical officers and specialist doctors for general and specialised tele-consultation.

Launched on web and Android platforms, Naga Telehealth will also be beneficial for triaging Covid-19 patients and managing essential health care services at primary level, it informed, adding that the technology-based platform will go a long way in ensuring that people in the most remote corners of the state have access to quality, affordable primary healthcare services.