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TCCI
helps launch India's first telemedicine service
May 2, 2001
The Tata Council for Community
Initiatives (TCCI) has developed partnership between
the Pune Zilla Parishad and Ruksun Doctor Anywhere.com
to launch the first-ever telemedicine service in India.
The initial step connects three
Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Pune - at Wagholi,
Chakkan and Paud - and enables specialists to advise
general practitioners instantly, saving patients' time
and money. The service was inaugurated by Dr. Guy Harris,
secretary-general of the International Telemedicine
Society, Japan, at Wagholi in Pune on April 30, 2001.
Speaking at a press conference,
Ms V. Radha, IAS, chief executive officer of the Pune
Zilla Parishad, said it was a dream come true. Initially,
it was the TCCI that had introduced the idea to us.
Now with a tie-up with Doctor Anywhere, it will be possible
to practically implement the idea shortly. Twelve doctors
have been to spread the concept in the district.
While Tata Consultancy Services
has provided three personal computers to begin the project,
a resolution was passed by the government to allow the
use of computers in schools to further widen the scope
of the service in Pune District.
The zilla parishad is committed
to implement the scheme in all 88 PHCs in the district.
Jalinder Kamthe, president of the Pune Zilla Parishad,
earlier told newspersons that in a month’s time,
the service will be implemented in the state, beginning
with Baramati, Indapur, Otur, Junnar, Ambegoan and Nasrapur
talukas.
Anant Nadkarni, general manager,
TCCI, shared the various factors that made this partnership
possible and how the 'Tata way' on corporate social
responsibility ensures that the quality of life improves
by a change in peoples’ mindsets.
Mr.Nadkarni mentioned TELCO Pune’s
excellent example of training health workers from the
community and the use of mobile clinics to reach more
people. He stated that this experiment was an important
step for the Tata Group whose endeavor has been to help
run PHCs more effectively and improve quality of medical
services at reduced costs.
Please contact tcci@tata.com
for more details
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