India is short of nearly 5,00,000 doctors, based on the World Health Organization (WHO) norm of 1:1000 population. With a doctor-patient population ratio of 1:1674, the shortage of doctors is a major concern in health management in the country. (http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/healthcare-crisis-short-of-5-lakh-doctors-india-has-just-1-for-1-674-people/story-SZepTyjJ78WgOVIo93tBVK.html )
Determined to serve the Indian population and realize the dream of a healthy India, Sri Ram Murti Smarak (SRMS) Trust has consistently tried to achieve its vision through active programs. After successfully running mobile hospitals for the past two years, SRMS Trust is now focusing on rolling out new-age initiatives. On 23 September, Telemedicine Bus and E-healthcare centres were inaugurated at the SRMS Institute of Medical Sciences (SRMS IMS), Bareilly in the presence of Shri Siddharth Nath Singh, Hon’ble Health Minister, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh; Shri Amrish Bakaya, Director – Corporate Affairs, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Shri Rajesh Agarwal, Hon’ble Finance Minister, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Dev Murti, Chairman – SRMS Trust and Shri Aditya Murti, Trust Secretry – SRMS Trust.
The focus would be to reach out to rural areas, where the situation is worse when compared with urban locations. Let alone expert doctors, villages are often deprived of basic medical amenities. Villagers continue to succumb to illnesses not necessarily because they suffer from chronic diseases but because they reside in locations where at times medical facilities cannot be easily availed. To address this dire need and believing healthcare to be a right and not a privilege, SRMS Trust has devised telemedicine centres.
These telemedicine centres or hospitals-on-wheels are available on all 7 days. While doctors can be consulted through video-conferencing, referral services are also made available. The buses are equipped with machines and instruments that can test a patient’s vitals and haemoglobin level and conduct other related blood tests. Special equipments have been included for treating pregnant women. In addition, ECG and Spirometry facilities can also be availed. SRMS Trust will also distribute medicines, free of cost. It is estimated that in a year around 80,000 patients will get treatment through these facilities.
SRMS Trust continues be inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, ‘Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being’ which aims ‘to achieve universal health coverage, and provide access to safe and effective medicines and vaccines for all.’ (http://www.in.undp.org/content/india/en/home/post-2015/sdg-overview/goal-3.html )