Tele ICUs are boon for rural areas: Karnataka Deputy CM Shivakumar

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 2 (ANI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today lauded the tele intensive care units as a revolutionary step in healthcare.
Speaking at the inauguration of tele ICU clusters at Bengaluru and Ballari, he said, "The ability to manage critical patients in remote places by doctors in Bengaluru is a revolutionary step."
"There are many people who have voluntarily come forward to make this possible. The tele ICUs enable ICU beds to be set up in far-off places and the patients there can be monitored remotely by experts in Bengaluru. This facility must be expanded to all the places so that high-quality medical care is available to everyone," he said.
"Karnataka is at the forefront of healthcare in the country and the state has made a name for itself in health tourism too. Private healthcare providers too have contributed to the healthcare in the city in a big way," he added.
He further asserted that Tele ICUs should be set up at all the taluk headquarters.

"By the time patients are brought to Bengaluru or some other large city, it would be too late. This facility is a boon for people in villages. Tele ICUs must be set up at all the taluk headquarters. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundurao and the officers are committed to providing the best healthcare. Health is wealth and our government is committed to that," he said.
Shivakumar further added that Karnataka has the highest number of medical colleges in the country and our state produces the most number of doctors.
"The State exports doctors to other states and countries. I suggest making the medical colleges financially independent," he said.
He further said that there are many complaints that 108 ambulances take patients to private hospitals on priority in case of emergencies though government hospitals are there in the area.
"This puts patients in financial difficulty as private hospitals are expensive. I urge the authorities to use the technology and track the ambulances," he said. (ANI)