CGHS starts teleconsultation services through e-Sanjeevani in Delhi-NCR

The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) has started teleconsultation services tofacilitate consultations by its beneficiaries with specialists through the virtual mode without physically visiting a healthcare facility.

To begin with, specialist consultations under the services will be available for four specialties --Medicine,Orthopaedics,Eye andENT, the health ministry said.

The ministry said ithas been receiving requests from various quarters, including senior citizen beneficiaries, to start teleconsultation services with specialist doctors in view of the current COVID-19 pandemic due to which it is not advisable for them to visit public places, particularly healthcare facilities.

"In order to facilitate consultations with specialists by CGHS beneficiaries through virtual mode without physically visiting a healthcare facility, CGHS has started teleconsultation services with effect from August 25," the ministry said.

 

Initially, these services will be available to beneficiaries in Delhi and NCR. The e-services are available between 9 am and 12 noon on all working days, it said.

CGHS teleconsultation services are using the existing e-Sanjeevani platform of the Health Ministry, it said in a statement.

For ease of use, this platform has been linked with the ID of the beneficiaries. For availing of specialist OPD services, the beneficiaries are required to register on the platform using their mobile number after which an OTP will be generated for verification purposes.

After verification, the beneficiaries can log on to the system, fill patient registration form, request for a token and upload health records (if required), the ministry said.

The patients will receive patient ID and token through SMS and they will also be intimated about their number in the online queue.

On their turn, a 'call now' button will be activated and using the same, the beneficiary concerned can initiate a video call with a specialist for consultation.After the teleconsultation, an e-prescription will be generated.

Using this, the patients can get medicines issued from their CGHS Wellness Centre, the statement said.

"The new teleconsultation services of CGHS will prove to be a boon for those CGHS beneficiaries who are in need of consultation with specialists, but in the times of COVID-19 are not able to move out," the ministry said.

For regular OPD services each CGHS beneficiary is attached to a particular Wellness Centre (WC), although the beneficiaries can avail of OPD services at any WC anywhere in the country.

For availing of consultations with specialists, CGHS beneficiaries get referred by the Medical Officers of their WCs but for senior citizens such referral from the WCs is not required, the statement added.