Five crore Indians accessed healthcare online in the past three months, says Practo
Kolkata/IBNS: Lockdown, distancing norms and travel restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the pandemic has prevented many people from seeking medical help by visiting their own physicians or medical facilities.
Practo, a healthcare facilitator, has been providing telemedicine opportunities so that patients and doctors can stay connected.
Practo has now published its first-ever Insights Report that revealed that there was a 500 per cent increase in online doctor consultations since March 2020 with 80 per cent of all telemedicine users experiencing it for the first time.
It also pointed out that 44 per cent of the teleconsultations were from non-metro cities.
The report also said that in-person doctor visits dropped by 67 per cent and Indians consulted their doctors two times per month, using telemedicine.
Practo’s first-ever Insights Report is based on transactions by five crore users in the period of Mar 1 - May 31, 2020.
Nearly all departments saw significant increase in consults with patients experiencing typical problems such as Tele-ENT recorded 600 per cent growth, with patients often confusing seasonal allergies with COVID-19 symptoms; Tele-Orthopedics recorded 400 per cent increase, mainly from millennials who suffered from back pain due to bad work postures; Tele-Gastroenterology received a large number of consults from first time users with the majority of the consults related to digestive problems caused by a sudden drop in active lifestyles; with people spending a significant amount of time in front of screens, there have been rise in irregular sleeping patterns, and queries related to eye and vision increased significantly, etc.
The report noted that COVID-19 continues to be India’s top most worry, with concerns related to COVID-19 up by 200 per cent with 50 per cent of all GP consults accounting for Coronavirus related symptoms.
According to Dr C M A Belliappa, a General Physician from Bangalore “Telehealth has multiple applications, optimal care and virtual care is possible and extremely helpful in a pandemic scenario like COVID-19. It uses high definition transmission and clarity to provide rapid, accurate and real time consultation from professionals with expertise. Healthcare professionals can evaluate, diagnose and treat in a seamless environment."
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