Singapore: UST global, in collaboration with Blackberry, has launched an advance telemedicine application that offers rural communities access to medical specialties over the phone. The application was conceptualized by
Mr Pavan Kumar, head of department, Cardiovascular Surgery and Telemedicine Center, Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital, Mumbai.

Through this application, remote clinic staff can enter the visiting patients' demographics, vital signs, illness details, and preliminary diagnosis information. They can also upload existing medical reports. These can be reviewed by the assigned doctor, who then does a video consultation with the patient using the BlackBerry Messenger (BBMTM).

The prescription can be uploaded and handed over to the patient by the remote clinical staff. Mr Gilroy Mathew, general manager, Asia, UST Global, said, "This telemedicine mobile application will reduce the urban-rural divide and support inclusive growth. We believe it will transform the way healthcare services are made available to rural communities and address two major challenges - that of access to qualified doctors and affordable treatment without the need for patients to travel to cities."

Mr Kumar said that the app could replace desktop telemedicine solutions with mobile applications. He added that the application would help in improving the rural health platform and help in enhancing medical access among rural people. He remarked, "According to an IMS study, 40-45 percent of rural health expenditure can be reduced by addressing the issue of physical accessibility of healthcare."