Accessibility Remains Biggest Challenge In Healthcare In Rural Areas: Ayush Atul Mishra

What do you think are the difficulties or challenges with the healthcare setup in rural India? 

India's rural healthcare sector faces many challenges. Accessibility is one of the biggest challenges that people in rural areas face when it comes to healthcare, as there aren't many doctors or other healthcare professionals with specialised training there. This is because most of India's population lives in rural areas, while most of the people with specialised training live in urban areas. Lack of workers and health literacy is a significant issue as well. Low health literacy affects a person's ability to understand and follow medical instructions, as well as navigate the complex healthcare system. Lack of staff in the healthcare sector can exacerbate issues, and a lack of technology and equipment in rural areas can make things worse. Low health literacy also affects a person's ability to make healthy decisions. 

Do you think e-consultation or telemedicine can break the chain of transmission of infections in rural areas? 

One of the most significant benefits of e-consultation or telemedicine is that it can assist hospitals in reducing doctor-patient visits and breaking the chain of infection transmission. Telemedicine improves health care services by allowing patients to receive consultations and advice without having to visit a health care facility. This reduces travel expenses, saves time, and allows the common man to have easier access to specialist doctors without interfering with their daily responsibilities. 

These features of telemedicine helped the patients when the Government of India published the guidelines for telemedicine in March 2020 amid  Covid 19 with the sole intention of making sure that the patients don't have to travel all the way to hospitals to get the consultation. The main intent was to reduce the transmission of infection during the pandemic, telemedicine was used as the mode of  consultation in Covid 19. 

Do you think a tech enabled healthcare ecosystem could develop healthcare in rural areas? 

Every industry, including healthcare, is undergoing a digital transition. Healthcare professionals had to find new means to communicate with non-emergency patients because a significant share of face-to-face contacts were no longer possible due to the epidemic. The way that people are beginning to approach health has changed, and this includes their perspective on treatment. Also, doctors and other medical professionals use AI to accelerate and optimise crucial clinical decision-making by utilising rapid and precise data. 

Do you see change in the healthcare scenario? What transitions is the industry witnessing at the moment?  

Yes, there is a massive change in the healthcare scenario, especially with respect to people becoming more  proactive when it comes to taking professional healthcare opinions. Initially while tapping rural areas for teleconsultation there was an observation that there was a lack of proactiveness on people on timely consultation, access to doctor availability, regular follow ups, prevention from any disease to go from basic infection to serious illness, these observation  changed to some extent  after the introduction of Telemedicine. Secondly, as telemedicine has been promoted by the government, people are more familiar with it and are more willing  to consult through online platforms. As a result, it helped to push the government vision of Digital India. Telemedicine consultation also led to more penetration of the Internet by getting rural people on one platform. 

Our vision at Tattvan is to create a health ecosystem at the village or tehsil level so that patients don't have to go far for medical care. The goal is to avoid patients having to frequently leave their house so that they can receive the best healthcare services, medications, and facilities  at the comfort of their home. Also to give  expert medical advice and consultation to the people in all small towns, villages, and rural areas in India while working on to lower the ratio of doctors to patients by bringing them together on a common platform. 

How do you think Tattvan contributes to the rural health care system? 

Tattvan's main goal is to close the gap between patients in rural and urban areas and doctors by taking into account the significant problem of doctor accessibility in rural areas. Tattvan uses telemedicine to fill the gap and connect patients living in remote areas to doctors from big hospitals or metro cities ensuring healthcare accessibility regardless of the patient's geographic location. Tattvan provides affordable medical advice from doctors and healthcare specialists who work at the hospitals, Nursing Homes and other healthcare facilities in major cities. Tatvan’s other goal is to increase awareness about  how telemedicine might be a practical substitute for individuals who cannot afford to travel to major cities every time they need to consult a doctor.