Imphal, October 13 2008: Plans are afoot to extend tele-medicine facility to PHCs and PHSCs located in interior areas where doctors/specialist doctors are absent under the National Rural Health Mission, said Health Minister Ph Parijat.

Talking to some media persons at his office chamber, Parijat said that the initiative has been launched in view of difficulties faced by rural people where there is no doctor/specialist doctor at their PHCs/PHSCs.

Saying that plans are afoot to open tele-medicine centre as a model, he informed that this centre would enable doctors/specialist doctors to prescribe medicines for patients of PHCs/PHSCs located in remote and interior areas without loss of time.

For this, necessary medicines will be made available at the PHCs/PHSCs.

The same model tele-medicine have already been launched in Tripura, Parijat said.

Conceding that tele-medicine centres opened in the State under NEC were not much fruitful, the Health Minister informed that the newly proposed tele-medicine centres will be entrusted to an agency for proper functioning.

On the scheduled recruitment of 18 drivers under National Rural Health Mission, there has been certain difficulties for Bishnupur district as many UG groups have been exerting pressure to select candidates of their choice, he disclosed.

Interestingly, mobile vans provided under NRHM remained unused due to shortage of drivers.

The Minister further denied any knowledge about the advertisement published in some newspapers with his photograph and Japanese Embassy for appointment in Japanese hospital.

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