The 'Arogya Jaal', a health project that was launched in a small hospital in Rui, a remote village in Baramati district in Maharashtra, stands out as an interesting case as to how the information and communication technology (ICT) can change the life of poor patients in the remote areas of the country.

Since its beginning in November last year, the project has benefited more than 11, 000 poor patients who cannot afford the costly private hospitals in the cities. Under the project, the poor people will be provided free tele diagnosing and further treatment if needed. The programme helps the poor patients in identifying solutions and advance treatment options for cardiac cases and eye ailments. The hospital has roped in Narayana Hrudyalaya in Bangalore and Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai for the project.

The tele-medicine set up includes a computer having broadband connection and an ECG machine, ophthalmic instruments and a videoconference facility and a software to connect to Narayana Hrudyalaya in Bangalore and Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai. By using these, a rural patient can get expert diagnosis and opinion within a matter of minutes.

Elaborating the features of this system Dr Amol Goje, director, Vidya Prathishthan's Institute of Information Technology (VIIT) says, "The novelty of the project is that we get an expert opinion in ten minutes. When a patient comes complaining of chest pain, we fill up his medical details and take his ECG. This is then transmitted to Narayana Hrudyalaya and the cardiology specialist there gives his diagnosis in ten minutes after we send the ECG. This outlines the case, treatment needs, condition of the patient and thus treatment will be prescribed".

Goje adds that we have an online camera if the doctor needs to have a look at the patient too. In case of eye care, the images of the eye are dispatched similarly to Aravind Eye Hospital and we get the necessary inference from the doctor. In both cases the doctors can virtually consult the patients cutting across barriers and this not only saves time but betters life saving statistics.

Goje said, that, so far more than 11, 000 patients have come for consultation under this project and almost 90 per cent have returned satisfied that the problem is not serious and are taking necessary medication from the hospital. Only 5-10 per cent require further treatment after the tele diagnosing.

He says that, the service provided at Rui is free and both Narayana Hrudyalaya and Aravind Eye hospital do not charge any consultation fees.

When asked about VIIT's role in this project, Goje said, "we provided the infrastructure and support for this project with the support of the present Minister for Health in Maharashtra Vimal Mundada. Intel gave us this concept and they have been providing all necessary infrastructures".