Bengaluru, 2 Feb

The State has set up four Telemedicine Clusters units in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, and Ballari to enhance healthcare accessibility in rural areas.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao inaugurated these units on Friday.

Gundurao said that 10 tele-ICU beds have been arranged in these 41 taluk hospitals and super-specialty care will be available to patients with the advice of expert doctors through AI technologies.

The Telemedicine Intensive Care Unit (Tele-ICU) is a system where the doctors can monitor the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) using audio–video and electronic links to treat the patients.

Currently, Bengaluru has nine of these; Mysuru has 13; Hubballi has 10; and Ballari has nine along with two smart ICU hospitals.

Shivakumar said the initiative is a revolutionary step in healthcare and he added that over 11,000 people have been treated through tele-ICU this year. 

Speaking at the inauguration he said, “Karnataka is at the forefront of healthcare in the country and the State has made a name for itself in health tourism too,” he said. 

“By the time patients are brought to Bengaluru or some other large city for treatment it would be too late. This facility is a boon for people in villages. Tele-ICUs must be set up at all the taluk headquarters.”

Commenting on allegations over government ambulances being used by private hospitals, he said, “I have instructed health officers to look into this and track the ambulance drivers.”