If the country has the dubious distinction of having one doctor for every 15,000 people, low-cost telemedicine model Remote Healthcare Delivery Solutions is set to bridge the great Indian healthcare divide.

The rural healthcare scenario is a complex interplay of various parameters that include affordability, availability of healthcare personnel and medicine, infrastructure, social security/insurance and viable, sustainable and scalable business models. With a population of more than 1 billion, of which nearly 72.2 per cent reside in rural areas, the Indian healthcare industry is faced with many challenges while extending its services, particularly to those living in rural and suburban areas of the country.

In India, the bias in healthcare delivery is evident from the fact that nearly 80 per cent of physicians reside in urban areas, leaving the 72.2 per cent rural population with limited access to healthcare services. Even as primary healthcare centres and makeshift dispensaries are being constructed at remote areas, the country experiences a perennial shortage of trained doctors and nurses. For instance, India has just one doctor for every 15,000 people, and specialists are even rarer. In the absence of qualified doctors, predominant healthcare personnel in rural areas are unqualified practitioners, who have either limited or no training.......Read More

Source: Business Standard