Telemedicine at Amrita Institute

“Where there is love, distance doesn’t matter.” – Amma

Telemedicine is a method by which specialist doctors can examine, investigate, monitor and treat patients in remote areas through satellite video-conferencing. Medical images, patient records and output from medical devices can be transmitted, as well as live two-way audio and video. Specialists can advise, online, doctors or paramedics at the patient’s end, and if necessary even guide them in surgery.

Amrita Institute of Medical Science [AIMS] has been providing compassionate care through telemedicine since 2003, servicing remote islands such as Lakshadweep and Andaman-Nicobar, as well as Leh-Ladakh in Kashmir. Now, more than 32 centers India are connected from Amrita. Amrita has also used the technology to provided specialty medical support during times of natural disasters, including the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and 2008 Bihar floods.

Aside from providing consultations to the remote corners of India, Amrita uses its telemedicine link to educate doctors in remote primary centres to the latest medical advancement through seminars, workshops and teaching programmes.

Amrita’s telemedicine programme is made possible through its link with an ISRO [Indian Space Research Organisation] satellite.

“Communication through machines has even made people in far off places seem very close. Yet, in the absence of communication between hearts, even those who are physically close to us seem very far away.” – Amma

The achievements of the Amrita Telemedicine project are many and varied:

• * There has been a substantial decline in unnecessary referrals to specialists
• * Patient satisfaction with the face-to-face video consultation has been significant
• * Diabetes in gestational pregnancy brought under control and ensured safe delivery for Lakshadweep patients;
• * Cancer diagnosis and treatment prescribed for SNM Hospital patient in Leh, Ladakh.
• * Videoconferencing also opened up new possibilities for continuing medical education or training for isolated or rural health practitioners, who may not be able to leave a rural practice to take part in professional meetings or educational opportunities.
• * The Telemedicine service provides primary specialist diagnosis, second opinion, recommended treatment and post-treatment advice based on consultation and medical data test results
• * DNB teaching programmes is being telecasted to other telemedicine centres, like Tiruvananthapuram Medical College.
• * On 13th January 2003, Amrita’s first remote tele-surgery procedure was performed. The Amrita Emergency Care Unit at Pampa (on the way to Sabarimala shrine of Lord Ayyappa, a famous pilgrimage centre in eastern Kerala) was able to save the life of a pilgrim by the tele-surgical procedure using the local telemedicine facility. The cardio-vascular thoracic surgeon guided the procedure remotely and the pediatric cardiologist at Pampa performed the procedure.
• * Both national and international seminars and workshops are being conducted regularly at Amrita.
• * A mobile Tele-medicine serves the rural and tribal areas of Kerala
• * Postgraduate training programmes, live interaction of CME programmes with various telemedicine centers simultaneously

Through the Amrita Telemedicine service, Amma has found yet another way of reaching out to Her children to ease their suffering. Amma’s infinitely compassionate arms continue to extend in every conceivable direction.

To contact:
Telephone: 011-91-484-2802121
Videoconference ISDN Number: 011-91-484-280-2802

“The beauty of society lies in the communication between hearts.” – Amma