Remote tsunami-hit islands soon to get telemedicine facility

Port Blair, Jul 18 (UNI) Chowra and Kamorta, the worst tsunami-hit islands, of Andaman and Nicobar chain will soon receive telemedicine facilities, Union territory Health Department Director Dr N Sadasivan said here today.

''This will ensure availability of consultancy with the specialists in the remote and far-flung areas of the island,'' he said.

The department was all set to extend these services with support of Information and Technology Department here.

Besides Chowra and Kamorta, the facility would be reactivated in Car Nicobar island, where after tsunami the telemedicine link services were disrupted, the health director added.

The equipment had been provided by ISRO, Dr Sadasivan said the e facility would have the linkage with Ram Chandra Medical College and Research Institute and Apollo Hospitals in Chennai.

The health institutions to be equipped with telemedicine could also avail the facility by interacting with specialists at G B Pant Hospital, a referral hospital with facility already in existence, he further stated.

At present the archipelago has a chain of health institutions with 111 sub-centers, 19 Primary Health Centres, four Community Health Centres, two District Hospitals and one Referral Hospital.

UNI