Over the past 5 months, the world witnessed historic and dramatic developments related to the rapid emergence of a novel coronavirus and disease called COVID-19 which has been declared as pandemic by the World Health Organization. Realtime, detailed global media coverage brought live updates on the infection to every corner of the planet. Social media outlets are abuzz with minute to minute alerts, reflections, witness accounts, and personal reactions. We are witnessing human suffering, including overwhelmed health-care systems, limited access to emergency care, vacationing passengers stranded on cruise ships, large scale evacuations, overnight economic shutdown, and empty streets around the globe. The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 210 countries and territories around the world. The world has over 4,440,000 cases of COVID-19 and 302,000 deaths till now. India has 81,970 cases, 2,649 deaths till now. Highest cases (25,992) are in the state of Maharashtra (capital city Mumbai, also known as financial capital of India) with 975 deaths.
Global death toll from COVID-19 is rising. Countries have taken great steps to control and flatten the curve of COVID-19. We are all aware of the protective measures to be taken at individual levels. One of the most important measures is social distancing. Social distancing which is a non-pharmaceutical infection prevention and control intervention implemented to avoid/decrease contact between those who are infected with a disease causing pathogen and those who are not, so as to stop or slow down the rate and extent of COVID-19 disease transmission in a community. This eventually leads to decrease in spread, morbidity and mortality due to the disease.
We are also very well aware that, few healthcare systems around the world are equipped to deal with the potentially massive numbers of infections, acutely ill patients, and population level anxiety related to both COVID-19.
Like any other defining challenge in human history, the current emergence of COVID-19 comes with its own unique opportunities and innovative solutions. Technological advances provide humanity with new, previously unavailable options. Although the ultimate solution to the COVID-19 infection will be multifaceted, one important avenue that has not yet been explored fully is to leverage existing technologies to facilitate optimal care delivery while minimizing the risk of direct human to human exposure. In this context, telemedicine represents an attractive, effective, and affordable option. Moreover, this technology is of critical importance when one considers the consequences of healthcare providers contracting COVID-19 as a result of direct exposure; something that can be especially devastating in low resource areas or under the circumstances of massive stress to the existing healthcare infrastructure and staff.
Based on the above rationale, the availability of telemedicine services can become a critical need for populations and patients affected by the COVID-19 infection. Enabling patients to consult a healthcare provider via teleconferencing, in real time, to allay one’s fear and anxiety, seek advice regarding their routine health problems, and learn self care, all become critically important in the setting of hospitals and clinics being overwhelmed with more acute complaints.
Using tailored approaches, Telemedicine services providers can remotely identify patients who may require further escalation of care.
Thus, telemedicine services can be a powerful gate keeping and coordination mechanism to ensure more appropriate use of provider offices, emergency departments, and hospitals, as understood within the above broader context. The overall emergency implementation of Telemedicine services can also be augmented by the addition of point of care clinical assessment and diagnostic testing, further strengthening the efficacy of the emergency response infrastructure.
Manorama Infosolutions has launched a ready to implement Telemedicine Solution for remote Tele consultation of the COVID-19 suspects/ patients. The Solution is helpful in managing CoronaVirus Pandemic and for offering non COVID-19 related Guidance and Medical Help for District Administration Authorities , Govt. & Private Health Authorities. This optimizes the use of Clinical Resources and enables efficient Care Delivery by the medical authorities for the treatment of COVID-19.The solution can be deployed quickly and at scale over cloud, with quick training of medical staff and implementation. This solution has already been implemented in Kolhapur district hospital with positive feedback from the District Collector, Kolhapur and Dean of the district Medical College.