Amid its continuing offensive against the Covid-19 pandemic, Andhra Pradesh is now turning to telemedicine services as a means of reaching out to people seeking medical advice and support.

On Monday, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the DR YSR Telemedicine programme, which provides online consultation services with doctors for out patient services as well as for Covid-19 patients.

State government officials said that the YSR Telemedicine programme would help the health department locate people with symptoms of Covid-19. Persons showing the symptoms need to place a missed call to 14410 following which an executive will call back to collect the details.

This is to identify and isolate Covid-19 cases based on doctors’ advice.

As of April 11, 286 doctors and 114 executives have registered their names voluntarily to deliver services under the DR YSR Telemedicine programme and the staff will be working in three shifts from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“The Chief Minister ordered the officials to strengthen this programme and ensure regular monitoring and increase the number of doctors if needed,” an official in the Chief Minister’s Office said.

On receiving the patient’s details through the telemedicine executive, a doctor will respond through audio or video conferencing facility, and prescribe the medicines and tests required through SMS.

Covid-19 symptomatic patients will be sent to PHCs or district and state-level hospitals for further treatment.

In case home treatment is prescribed, officials said the medical prescription for the patient will be sent to the medical officers at the patients’ location, and required medicines will be packed and sent to the patient through Asha workers, ANMs and volunteers.

The medicine delivery services will be provided to non-Covid-19 patients as well.