Telemedicine : Guidelines in India and its Importance in COVID Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/ijfmt.v15i2.14492Keywords:
telemedicine, telemedicine overview, telemedicine india, telemedicine guidelines, telemedicine covid, telehealthAbstract
Social Distancing became the new norm in the COVID 19 pandemic. While at one side the world-wide
medical fraternity is finding ways to combat the viral infection, there were patients with existing illness who
needed follow-up care. The role of Telemedicine became important under such circumstances.
A study conducted by Earnst & Young (EY) in association with Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA)
[Mar’20], estimated the Telemedicine market in India to reach $5.5 billion By 2025[3]. These telemedicine
companies offer services like teleconsultation, e-prescription, e-pharmacy and online ordering & scheduling
of laboratory investigations.
Just after the start of statutory lockdown in India in view of COVID pandemic, on 25 March’2020, the
BOARD OF GOVERNORS in supersession of the Medical Council of India notified the “Telemedicine
Practice Guidelines” to enable R.M.P.s to provide healthcare using Telemedicine [7]. [This constitutes
Appendix 5 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics Regulation, 2002]
Although the practice of Telemedicine was going on in some form or the other in the last two decades, but
there was a question with respect to its legitimacy and acceptance by the medical fraternity at large. The
notification of these guidelines has cleared the picture to a large extent and lays the foundation for this new
tool of medicine practice.
This article is a peak into the current guidelines of Telemedicine in India and its usefulness in the COVID
pandemic.
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