Soon after launching an online supermarket for door delivery of essentials to the people confined to their houses during lockdown, the Kodagu district administration has taken its e-initiative forward by offering telemedicine facility.

Making use of technology, the Kodagu district administration has started a website www.kodaguedoc.letstart.in for the benefit of dispensing telemedicine at a time when most health facilities, including clinics, across the State have shut.

People feeling unwell or having flu symptoms need to sign up, fill in details, sign in, and register before making appropriate selections for self or a family member and call the doctor. Patients or their attendants registering on the website through a mobile phone can make use of the option to call the doctor available on the website or call 9480610807.

The doctor, who will receive the call at the control room of the telemedicine facility, will provide consultation to the caller after taking the registration ID and prescribe necessary medication through an SMS. The prescription can also be downloaded from the website.

Though the doctors offering telemedicine facility will mostly address common complaints of flu and cough, necessary guidance will also be provided to patients with symptoms of COVID-19.

The telemedicine facility is also aimed at checking the rampant practice of self-medication among the people since the neighbourhood clinics have been closed.

After a large number of people begun taking medicine over the counter, the district administration has directed drug stores in the district to stop dispensing medicine without a prescription that is less than a week old.

To popularise the telemedicine facility, the district administration has come out with a short video which provides new users with details on how to sign up and register.

The facility offered by the Kodagu district administration follows the launch of an online supermarket to deliver groceries, vegetables, fruits, and milk to doorsteps by involving grocery stores and other establishments dealing with essentials.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – April 17th, 2020