telemedicine counselling to the sick and needy. Under the state government’s smart town programme initiative, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma launched the Meghalaya Digital Dispensary of Apollo hospital. The Meghalaya government has also endorsed the intervention.
According to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, the telehealth center would give teleconsultation and customized packages for the regular outpatient department. The Apollo dispensary will also provide specialty services. The facility will be administered and operated by Apollo Hospitals. The digital dispensary is based in the campus of the Food Craft Institute located in Dakopgre in Tura.
Some of the special services offered by the Apollo telemedicine are general medical, gynecology, cardiology, paediatrics (for children), orthopaedics (bones), gastroenterology, dermatology (skin), and mental counseling. The general package that includes a teleconsultation with a general medical doctor, laboratory tests, and medications costs only INR 280. The special package that includes a consultation with a specialized doctor, lab testing, and medications costs only INR 400.
At present, private checks with doctors and experts might cost anywhere between INR 500 and INR 800, excluding test fees. Physicians and experts from one of the several Apollo Hospitals located around the country will contact the patient in Tura via teleconference, and after conducting a thorough assessment, the doctor will choose the best course of therapy for the patient.
