Plan to ‘e-link’ dispensaries with hospitals still on hold in Chandigarh – ET HealthWorld

Chandigarh: Last year, under the Covid package, the UT health department had decided to connect the dispensaries with the civil hospitals, medical college and the PGI under a hub and spoke model. Over 100 computers had also been purchased for this, but the dispensaries are still not ‘e-connected’ with the surrounding hospitals for consultation.

According to sources, Rs 50 lakh was sanctioned for the project to connect the dispensaries with civil hospitals and district hospitals to the PGI. This network of tele consultation was to enable doctors to take referral advice from bigger hospitals like PGI.

There are 34 dispensaries which have been converted into health and wellness centres. Additionally there are 3 civil hospitals besides the PGI and GMCH 32, which are the referral tertiary care hospitals. ”The dispensaries have been upgraded and renovated. Medical officers have also been recruited there.

But for referral, the doctors have to send the patients to the secondary care hospital. Had there been online consultation, it could have saved the to and fro time and thinned down the rush in GMCH, GMSH 16 and PGI,” said an official in GMSH 16.

It was proposed that the dispensaries shall be connected with the civil hospitals, which would be further linked with the district hospital, Government Multispeciality hospital 16. As a part of this, the GMSH 16 also conducted trials for starting the online payment for hospital services.

There is a footfall of more than 2000 patients every day in GMSH 16. The e sanjeevani platform is being used in 10 departments including Dental, Dermatology, ENT Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Psychiatry, General Medicine, General Surgery, Paediatrics and Ayush.