Date:17/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/17/stories/2006051724190200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

ISRO signs pact on telemedicine

Staff Reporter

MoU signed with four speciality hospitals

Bangalore: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday signed memorandum of understanding with four speciality hospitals to expand its telemedicine network.

According to a press release, the four hospitals are Manipal Hospital in Bangalore, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, Madras Diabetic Research Foundation in Chennai and Dr. Venkatrao Dawle Medical Foundation at Ambajogai in Maharashtra. ISRO's satellite-based telemedicine network, which started in 2001 on an experimental basis, is aimed at linking remote and rural hospitals with super-speciality facilities in major cities via INSAT.

While ISRO provides the software, hardware, communication equipment and satellite bandwidth, the speciality hospitals provide the infrastructure and manpower and maintain the system. Of the four hospitals that signed MoU with ISRO, Manipal Hospital had its head office in Bangalore with branches in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and Sikkim.

The Madras Diabetic Research Foundation had set up a mobile telemedicine unit to visit various villages around Chennai, while Dr Venkatrao Dawle Medical Foundation's mobile telemedicine unit covered rural population of southern Maharashtra, the release said.