Last week, the residents of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi got a taste of what it might be to live in a futuristic world where science would improve their living conditions. Intel Technology India, in collaboration with the Government of India, unveiled a pilot digital healthcare and education programme which is to be part of Intel's World Ahead Programme.
The pilot was just for two days and curious visitors turned up at the Haj Manzil where a dummy e-health project was being staged for the benefit of the media.
Dr Devi Shetty sitting in Narayana Hrudayalaya in Bangalore was in consultation and dummy patients, apparently Congress workers, were there to seek medical advice.
The demo programme would, however, be real soon says Intel. That is whenever it finds a site to run the programme. Meanwhile, the company is not quite willing to talk about the cost of installing such projects and officials duck any question regarding funds. (See interview).
World Ahead Programme has already opened projects in two districts including Chennai and Pune.
Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary school, a Delhi Government school in Ajmeri Gate, has been traying out the education package of Intel provided to give lessons. Mohammad Hanees of Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary school, said the Tele health monitoring programme had been in his school for a month.
"Thirty health scouts and five health leaders monitor the health of the students of the school. They have been trained by NGO Sharp and Intel," he said. A database, containing health-related information of each student, is prepared and sent to the primary healthcare centre, he added. This saves time as doctors address only those children who need treatment.
Intel Learn programme is making computing accessible to the children. The programme helps them learn technology, boosts critical thinking and collaboration skills using a project-based curriculam in an after-school, community-centred setting. Children from classes six seven and eight were targeted.
The Digital healthcare will be operational at four centres in the Old Delhi area soon to provide cost-effective access to quality healthcare for the low income groups.
Kapil Sibal, the Minister for Science and Technology, who inaugurated the pilot in his constituency of Chandni Chowk, says that he wanted an Intel health kiosks each in the four Assembly segments of his constituency. Of course, the cost and agencies are all to be decided in the future. He added that his ministry will insist on having an economically sustainable model.
"We want to take the benefits of science to the common man. Let us first see its sustainability on a pilot basis. We will then take it forward in a big way and target even the rural areas," said Sibal, while unveiling the Tele healthcare and education centres last week.
Intel India President Praveen Vishakantaiah said the company looked forward to working in coordination with the ministry.
The project has already found partners in Tata Consultancy Services, Fortis healthcare, Specialty Ranbaxy Laboratory, SN Informatics, Narayana Hrudalaya Gangaram Hospital and St Stephen's School in Delhi.
