AIMS Telemedicine facility

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has drawn up ambitious plans to extend The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) Telemedicine facility to connect 80 more district hospitals to specialty hospitals in the north-eastern states of India.

AIMS had successfully launched its Telemedicine facility in September 2002 to provide Teleconsultation to people of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep (UTL).

AIMS, an 800-bed tertiary referral hospital, managed by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, is presently connected to the following Telemedicine centres in India: SRMC, Chennai; Sankara Netralaya, Chennai; Indira Gandhi District Hospital, Kavaratti, Lakshadweep Islands; GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands; Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow; SNM hospital, Leh – Ladakh; Katuah district Hospital, J&K; Guwahati Medical College, Assam; Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, J&K; Govt. District hospital, J&K; Swami Vivekananda memorial Hospital, Sargur, Karnataka; District Hospital, Carnicobar, Andaman & Nicobar Islands; AIIMS, New Delhi; Trivandrum Medical College; Pattanamthitta District Hospital, Kerala; Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore; Ravindranath, Kolkata; Ramchandra Bhanja, Cuttack.

Dr. Prem Nair, Medical Director, AIMS, says, “ISRO had selected AIMS in its pilot project of Telemedicine, to provide the satellite link to Lakshadweep and other remote telemedicine centres in India, because AIMS is the only institute with digitised maintenance of its patient’s records, radiology images, etc., and also because of the good reputation AIMS has earned during the past five years of dedicated service to the people."

“The goals behind AIMS Telemedicine projects are to strengthen the skills and confidence of the doctors at the remote primary level and to bring down the necessary referrals to the super-specialty hospitals. It was one of Amma’s wishes to provide the best in modern healthcare, in a spirit of caring and compassion, to the remote corners of India, who cannot afford the treatment due to the various physical and monetary constraints”, says Dr. Nair.

Though Telemedicine is relatively new in India, AIMS has the distinction of conducting the first Telesurgery in India, which saved a Sabarimala pilgrim’s life.

Health care information universally available at the touch of a button;	Patient satisfaction with face-to-face video consultation;
A pathologist using micromanipulator can remotely change the field of view, focus and magnify a slide located under a microscope thousands of miles away;	Telemedicine technology can be used for oncology, mental health care to patients in rural jails, hospice care, and also to augment school health services;
Video conferencing also opens up new possibilities for continuing education or training for isolated or rural health practitioners;	AIMS Telemedicine service provides primary specialist diagnosis, second opinion, recommended treatment and post treatment advice based on consultation, medical data test results;
DNB Teaching programs are telecast to other Telemedicine centres;	CMEs are telecast to rural and remote places to update the knowledge of doctors;
AIMS specialists can provide expert advice on the transmitted scanned images like MRI, CT-scan, X-Ray, ultrasound, doppler, echo, holter, angiographies, pathalogical slides, blood, urine test results, etc.	AIMS Fetal telemedicine will prove the efficacy of transmission of ultrasound images of the high-risk pregnant women.
AIMS Fetal Echocardiography will be very helpful in the early diagnosis of the heart problems and proper treatment could be given appropriately.

Managed by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math in Kochi, Kerala, AIMS provides the highest international standard of medical care, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. AIMS, a non-profit organisation, is dedicated to establishing a centre of excellence in medical care and improving the well being of the community through quality programmes of preventive medicine, medical education and research.

Its excellent hospital infrastructure includes a fully computerised and networked information system, digital radiology department and comprehensive and exceptionally well-equipped laboratory to facilitate enhanced patient care.