New Delhi, June 17 (FN Bureau) Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India had surprised the world by administering 220 crore Covid vaccine doses through a fully digital platform (COWIN), not even imagined by the developed western countries. Speaking after inaugurating Free Telemedicine Mobile Camp “Doctor on Wheels” at block Mandli in Billawar belt of Kathua district, Dr Singh informed that this is the third phase of first-ever mobile telemedicine service being provided in Jammu and Kashmir purely from non-government sources. “The first phase covered more than 60 villages in remote Gandoh in district Doda and the second phase covered far-flung villages situated along the International Border in district Kathua previously deprived of adequate medical services,” he stated.
The Minister said, “the free telemedicine mobile camp today at Mandli in Billawar is being run with the support of voluntary groups.” Dr Singh said, this free telemedicine facility at Billawar today will overcome the problems of ‘Accessibility, Availability and Affordability’. He said, all the three obstacles like quality of services, doctors and assistance, distance of travelling and cost of consultation/treatment are targeted and solved efficiently through this facility. Ordinarily, a metro hospital will cost a patient more than fifty thousand and may take two to three weeks time. “This type of free telemedicine mobile camp will solve all the problems especially for those having weak socio-economic background,” Dr Singh added.
Emphasising that India today is technologically at par with the most developed countries of the world, Dr. Singh asserted that such telemedicine services as provided today are at par with the ones provided anywhere in the world and the advanced robotic surgeries would also be done in future using telemedicine services. The mantra of PM Narendra Modi ‘Seva, Samparan and Start-up’ is being followed in these free telemedicine mobile services with extraordinary medical facilities for people with low socio-economic background as this government is dedicated to the poor, said Dr. Singh.