Maha govt introduces TeleICU' in 7 districts to treat critically ill patients

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has started ‘TeleICU’ facility on pilot basis in seven districts, including Mumbai for critically ill patients. The doctors will monitor the health of the patients through this facility. Public health minister Rajesh Tope said that the availability of specialist doctors in ICU is less. With the help of this technology, they can help the patients from remote places.

TeleICU is the use of an off-site command center in which a critical care team (intensivists and critical care nurses) is connected with patients in distant ICUs to exchange health information through real-time audio, visual, and electronic means.

“MEDSCAPE foundation of doctors had approached the state government with a proposal to manage the ICU of five to seven districts. The doctors can monitor the health of the patients in ICU through this technology from Delhi,” the public health minister said.

“A monitor attached with an ICU bed can be seen through this software by the doctors. It will also show the patients’ medical history and changing parameters. Considering that, a proper treatment will be prescribed,” he added. The technology can be effectively used to provide proper guidance for the treatment, as a result the mortality rate of the coronavirus positive patients would be reduced.

At present, 75 to 85 per cent of the patients are asymptomatic and 10 to 15 per cent of the patients need oxygen. Two to three per cent Covid-19 serious patients require the ICU.

Mr Tope also said that the pilot project would be first introduced in Akola, Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Mumbai, Thane, Solapur and Jalna districts.