The demand for telemedicine has augmented to 70 per cent after the Coronavirus pandemic. Now patients don’t have to waste time in the waiting room at the hospitals or clinics and get immediate care for ailment when they need it. Telemedicine expands access to quality patient care, especially to remote and underserved populations that need it the most. It has the potential to change the healthcare delivery model for the better.

Caritas India has launched a telemedicine helpline service for cancer patient under its Ashakiranam project in Kerala as part of the foundation day celebration. The State has roughly 50,000 new cancer cases every year, based on the cancer registry data. A total of 100,000 cancer patients are in prevalence annually in the State.

“Caritas India is the divine face of the compassionate love of Jesus Christ. Upholding the theme of ‘Love in Action’,” said Bishop Jose Pulickal, Chairman of KCBC & JPD Commission while releasing the Ashakiranam Tele-medicine campaign poster. “Caritas India still continues building the nation and societies in Love, Peace and Fraternity in the land of India,” added Bishop. The service is a great help for cancer patients due to less exposure and uninterrupted treatment without hassle. This helpline facility will be implemented in association with various hospitals and medical centres.

Telemedicine was available before Covid-19 pandemic but now it is gradually gaining popularity and helping healthcare provider organizations and caregivers better respond to the needs of patients having low immunity. Caritas India and its partners launched this platform for consulting doctors virtually to avoid the risk of being infected. The 32 social service society partners in Kerala will tie-up with the local hospitals in the district to provide telemedicine facility to the patients.

If patient demand for telemedicine continues as expected, these practices will need parity to survive and ensure access to care. The COVID-19 crisis and the resultant lockdown with restrictions on travel have resulted in an increased demand for telemedicine services. The government has launched a telemedicine service in different districts to cater to those with common illnesses during the Covid-19 lockdown. The telemedicine or the remote diagnosis of patients through electronic communication proved beneficial to people seeking treatment for non-critical ailments. The benefits of telemedicine in today’s COVID world are obvious. Now, doctors can examine their patients virtually and patients can get their treatment from their doctors without the risk of being infected.

The service not only helps the cancer patients to have convenient and easy access to their treatment by the specialist doctors but also reduce the cost of health care. This is a welcoming step to improve the quality of health through telemedicine and better engagement through improved interactions.