Apollo, Cisco tie up for telemedicine

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Leading private healthcare provider Apollo Hospitals has allied with networking company Cisco to provide cost-effective telemedicine solutions to patients in remote areas.

"The latest technology provided by Cisco makes the work of a doctor more convenient. Earlier, the doctor would go in search of a telemedicine room, but the new technology provided by Cisco helps the doctor connect with patients on a laptop supported by an internet connection and web camera," Apollo Telemedicine Foundation president K. Ganapathy said Friday.

"Even miles apart, doctors can give medical supervision, conduct detailed clinical examination and interact with patients through web camera," Ganapathy added.

Sangita Reddy, executive director of Apollo Hospitals Group, said: "Although, Apollo Hospitals had one of the largest telemedicine network, we were not able to touch rural areas in India as the initial investment for this facility was high. The alliance with Cisco has made telemedicine user-friendly and cost-effective."

Reddy said Apollo had started deploying Cisco desktop-based healthcare technology in remote clinics and super-specialty hospitals, enabling patients to access doctors at any point of time.

Vishal Gupta, vice president of Cisco, said: "Using this new desktop-based healthcare solution, we create an environment similar to what patients experience when they visit their doctor."

"The high definition video, audio and end-to-end telemedicine and the immediate diagnosis with specialist will help patients, particularly those in rural areas," Gupta added.