Hospital visits giving you the chills? This virtual hospital from ABVP affiliates will bring the doc to you

Scared of going to the hospital for your regular check-up? Most of us are. What if we contract COVID from the hospital? It's a legitimate fear and the government has also been asking people to avail medical services online, as much as possible. To make this transition smoother, MedeVision and Yuva Vikas Society — both forums of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) — in association with Dhanush Infotech, a software development firm, has come up with a virtual hospital which you can visit from your smartphone without any need to step out.

But there have been other telemedicine apps that let you consult a doctor virtually. How is this any different? Because, unlike other apps where it is difficult to explain an issue to the doctor if you can't at least show him where it hurts or what's really wrong, you can do all that and more on this one. "Our app lets you get on a video session with the doctor you need and they provide you with an e-prescription with their digital signature once they examine you. This will help you get medicines easily from your nearby shop," said MedeVision's National Convention Head, Virendra Singh. "The app is available in English, Assamese, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Odiya, Tamil and Telegu for now but we will soon make it available in all Indian languages. We have also roped in doctors who can speak these languages so that the patient has no problem communicating," he added.

Virendra feels this app can also be helpful in reaching those remote areas that do not have good connectivity to a healthcare centre. "There are areas in India which are still lagging in healthcare infrastructure. Those who cannot avail healthcare easily can use this app to get immediate help from trained, experienced professionals," he added. "We have doctors from various fields and we have given them two-hour slots. So that it does not get too crowded for one doctor and people do not have to wait too long. We will be adding features as we go one. The next stage will have door-to-door medicine supply and we are yet to finalise on the delivery partner," said Virendra.

The app was recently launched by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Choubey, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) Chairman Manish Kumar and Dr S Subbaih, National President, ABVP.