Page 50 - EducationWorld January 2021

Career Focus

Great opportunities in

telemedicine

Registered medical practitioners of allopathy under the
Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, are eligible to practice

telemedicine from any location in India

PAROMITA SENGUPTA
Gupta: adverse ratio compensation
HE CORONAVIRUS pan- mandatory online course — currently aid and advice to a much larger
demic — which has strained being developed in association with number of people, and will compen-
public and private health NIMHANS (National Institute of sate for India’s adverse doctor-peo-
Tsystems, infected over 35 Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences), ple ratio deficit (0.62:1,000) against
million people and caused 1 million Bangalore — within three years of its the WHO-recommended 1:1,000.
fatalities worldwide — has gener- notification. Although admittedly,
ated a huge demand surge for tele- The guidelines offer practical telemedicine cannot replace the
medicine (aka remote consultation) advice to doctors to provide telemed- physical doctor-patient interaction
services. With fear spreading of con- icine services. They also stipulate and examination, it can do wonders
tracting the lethal virus in crowded norms and protocols relating to the to supplement it. Given that the
hospitals and doctors’ waiting rooms, doctor-patient relationship; issues traditional Indian patient values a
telemedicine, which enables medical of liability and negligence; evalua- doctor’s ‘healing touch’, a workable
practitioners to diagnose and moni- tion, management and treatment; solution post-pandemic could be an
tor patients with suspected Covid-19 informed consent; prescription and in-person first examination followed
infection as well as other ailments reimbursement; health education by remote review of investigation
remotely, is becoming increasingly and counseling. reports and writing of further
popular. However, there’s more to The Basel (Switzerland)-based In- prescriptions,” says Dr. Roshmi
the practice of telemedicine than ternational Society for Telemedicine Gupta, an ophthalmology postgrad
switching from conventional doctor- and e-health (ISfTeH) also offers of Calcutta Medical College and the
patient interaction to remote loca- training modules covering communi- B.R. Ambedkar University, Agra.
tion digital consultation. cation tools, ethics and legal aspects After graduation, Gupta acquired
In March last year, the Union of telemedicine. 14 years of rich experience (LV
ministry of health and family welfare PAY AND PERKS Prasad Eye Institute, Narayana
issued guidelines authored by the Telemedicine provides medical Nethralaya and Vasan Eye Care)
Medical Council of India in consul- practitioners (MBBS and above) with prior to her second stint as head
tation with government think tank part-time/full-time work opportuni- of the department of Oculoplasty,
NITI Aayog. The guidelines require ties in India and abroad. Moreover, Orbital Surgery and Ocular Oncology
all medical practitioners to observe they have the opportunity to work for at Narayana Nethralaya, Bengaluru
several protocols and processes to transnational tele-health corporates
practice telemedicine. Among them: ready and willing to pay an average in 2014.
Gupta believes that in the post-
explicit identification of doctor and $216,958 (Rs.1.5 crore) annual sal-
patient and consent for examina- ary. Other tele-health companies pay pandemic era, well-qualified tele-
medicine practitioners have excel-
tion, maintenance of records of the $100-150 per hour while some offer
consultation and complete confiden- $15-30 per video consultation. lent opportunities in medical fields
tiality. In India, medical professionals such as radiology, orthopaedics and
ophthalmology, which involve ex-
STUDY PROGRAMMES are beginning to integrate telemedi- tensive sharing of images and scans.
Registered medical practitioners cine into their regular practice. An According to her, it is essential for
(RMPs) of allopathy enrolled in the opportunity for solo practitioners all medical professionals to develop
registers of medical practitioners to grow their practice can also be telemedicine practice skills. “Stan-
maintained by the state and Central availed by registering with e-health dard clinical skills apart, mindful
governments under the Indian Medi- platforms (Practo, Onco.com, mfine, listening, technical know-how and
cal Council Act, 1956, are eligible to CallHealthetc) unlinked to hospitals/ perseverance are critical attributes
practice telemedicine from any loca- clinics (Rs.600-1,200 per consulta- for practicing telemedicine. More-
tion in India. In the interests of im- tion). over developing virtues of patience,
proving their practice and safeguard- PROFESSIONAL PROFILE empathy and good manners will help
ing themselves against liability suits, “I believe the MCI/NIMHANS guide- patients in distress to manage ill-
RMPs will be required to complete a lines will enable provision of medical ness, anxiety and stress,” she adds.

50 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2021