Uttarakhand: Teleradiology facility for patients at Doon Medical College

Dehradun: Tuesday saw the dawn of Teleradiology at Government Doon Medical College Hospital (GDMCH), with visiting patients being offered the facility.

X-rays, CTs, and MRI radiological patient images are transmitted through Teleradiology, from one place to another for sharing of studies with other radiologists and physicians.

This modern innovative technology helps improve patient care, as it allows radiological services to be made available to patients, without the radiologist being present on the location.

The hospital manned by only two specialists in the radiology department, take care of every day operations, independently. The two specialist are responsible for ultrasound and also give consultations for MRI, CT scan and X-ray reports.

The hospital’s radiology department conducts 20 MRIs, 30-35 CT scans, 100 ultrasounds and 350 X rays daily at GDMCH, for footfall from the entire Garhwal region. Haldwani Medical College, Kumaon region was the sole facility offering this technological innovation ,earlier.

There are only 33 practicing radiologists as against the sanctioned 135. Having been introduced in the GDMCH, the facility will now slowly find extension in the 35 other healthcare hubs of the state, especially those in the hills, from where patients often come down to Dehradun or Haldwani Medical College for these expensive tests .

Dr KK Tamta, Medical Superintendent revealed to the TOI, “This facility will help the poor patients especially because not just the unavailability in the hills but the wait to get expert opinions on the report used to consume their lot of energy and time.”