The first digital telemedicine dispensary finally opened in coal town at Topchanchi Primary Health Centre on Wednesday.

The dispensary was inaugurated on Wednesday by district programme manager Niraj Singh and district tuberculosis officer Mohammed Jafarullah.

Telemedicine is the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients by means of telecommunications technology.

The dispensary in Topc-hanchi will be open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Patients will be able to avail treatment in dermatology, gynaecology and paediatrics.

Divulging more details, Jafarullah, who is also the in-charge of the health centre, said, “The telemedicine centre has been established as part of the state government’s plan to cope up with the shortage of doctors in rural areas. Here the trained nurses will note down the symptoms of the diseases and then suggest necessary tests like blood pressure, blood sugar, ECG, etc. The diagnosis will then be forwarded to doctors of Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, who in turn will suggest medicines through video-conferencing.”

Jafrullah further said the digital dispensary would however not be able to offer treatment in cardiology, neurology, orthopaedics, urology and nephrology.

“We are yet to have provisions for treating such co-mplicated diseases,” he added.

Notably, Topchanchi health centre has an allopathic and another homeopathic doctor.

“The telemedicine centre will help to cope up with the shortage of doctors in Topchanchi,” he said.

Besides Topchanchi, four more digital dispensaries are expected to come up in Katras, Rajganj and Chota Ambona.