Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres Record Highest Daily Teleconsultations

With about 1 lakh AB-HWCs and over 25,000 hubs, e-Sanjeevani portal has been facilitating access to healthcare services across the length and breadth of the country.
April 18, 2022
eSanjeevani
Representational Image. Photo Credit- Tata Trust

Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) recorded their highest teleconsultations of more than 3 lakh teleconsultations in a day on 16 April 2022.

The record surpasses AB-HWCs’ earlier record of 1.8 lakh teleconsultations on a single day. The new record was achieved on the day when the centres celebrated their fourth anniversary.

The teleconsultations are carried out by AB-HWC on the E-Sanjeevani platform. It is a doctor-to-doctor teleconsultation system, where there is a medical specialist doctor sitting at a district hospital or at a medical college hospital on one end and a general doctor/community health officer along with the patient on the other end.

The system assures specialist consultation for a continuum of care, minimising the travel time of patients, and reducing cost and potential hardship said the official statement released on the occasion.

The Community Health Officer at the Sub Health Centre-Health and Wellness Centre (SHC-HWC) and Medical Officer at the Primary Health Centre-Health and Wellness Centre (PHC-HWC) are leveraging teleconsultation for seeking the guidance of specialists in district hospitals, medical colleges and even in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across the country, to render comprehensive care for the patient, visiting their AB-HWC.

The success was attributed to the constant encouragement and support extended by union health and family welfare minister, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, to states and union territories for teleconsultations, and the robust technology of the E-Sanjeevani platform. With around 1 lakh AB-HWCs already registered as spokes seeking consultation and more than 25,000 hubs providing teleconsultations, the E-Sanjeevani portal has been facilitating access to healthcare services across the length and breadth of the country, added the statement.

Teleconsultations have emerged as a boon to assure timely specialist services to the poorest of the poor in the remotest part of this diverse and large country, said the health ministry.