FIRST: Meenakshi Mission Hospital Introduces Telemedicine Robots in India

The Teladoc telemedicine robots have the capabilities to carry out basic clinical examinations (such as checking blood pressure and heart rate) on their own, as instructed by the doctors. As IoT devices, they can be used to control other advanced diagnostic equipment such as CT and MRI scan machines. Applying Artificial Intelligence, the robots can collect and process data from other diagnostic equipment and present it to the doctors to help them make precise clinical decisions. The robots can also enhance patient relations, as they are fitted with cameras and display monitors to enable patient-doctor interaction.

Dr Gurushankar said the adoption of such telemedicine robots is not going to take away the jobs of paramedical staff. Their primary objective is to augment the diagnostic abilities of doctors and improve access, quality, and efficiency of healthcare delivery for patients irrespective of their physical location - whether they are admitted at the hospital or are miles away at their home.

Dr Gurushankar said that mobile telemedicine robots are getting increasingly popular across the world since the outbreak of COVID-19, as these help hospitals reduce the risk of infections of all types substantially. Meenakshi Mission Hospital is all set to explore ways to use this novel technology to provide an expert diagnosis from Madurai to patients in other parts of the country so as to put world-class healthcare within everyone's reach.

Meenakshi Mission Hospital is spearheading the adoption of AI, robotics, telemedicine, and other technological breakthroughs in healthcare. During the lockdown days of the Covid pandemic, it deployed robots to detect Covid symptoms in people, sanitize the hospital premises, and deliver food and medicines to in-patients, as part of its 6-stage protection against Coronavirus.