Nitin Das, Vice President, MediBuddy vHealth explains how health ATMs resolves the problem of scarcity and inaccessibility of primary health services in rural and remote areas. It is an AI powered, sophisticated, state of the art, precise healthcare kiosk
1,419,014,986 – The current population of India, as on, May 25, 2023.
64.61 per cent – Rural population in India as reported in 2021.
‘The chain is as strong as its weakest link’- said Thomas Reid. Good health is the foundation, and an undeniable asset of a successful nation. The burgeoning population and a skewed populace concentration finds most of India in the rural heartlands and towns. PHC – Public Health Centre’s were set up to cater to integrative, curative, and preventive healthcare at the rural zones. What started out as the corner stone in providing primary healthcare struggled with doctor and staff shortages. With less than the WHO recommended doctor: patient ratio of 1:1000, the rural population faced shortages on doctor access, basic medicines, medical facilities, and awareness. Despite various governmental initiatives there has always been a gap to bridge.
Strengthening its digital dominance along with medical and scientific collaboration, the government and various private entities are addressing the ease accessible healthcare issue with the installation of Health ATM’s. Health ATMs are touch-screen automated teller machine-sized machines that can screen vital parameters, like pulse, blood pressure, temperature, body mass composition, blood glucose, oxygen saturation levels and ECG, without any paramedic assistance. Northern India has initiated a pre-emptive inhibitory health check drive using Health ATMs, equipped with cutting-edge diagnostic equipment. The health ATMs resolves the problem of scarcity and inaccessibility of primary health services in rural and remote areas. It is an AI powered, sophisticated, state of the art, precise healthcare kiosk.
One of the most significant benefits of Health ATMs is their accessibility. In many parts of the country, people must travel long distances to access healthcare services. This can be particularly challenging for people with limited mobility, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions. Health ATMs will help in ensuring readily available medical services to people in all parts of the country. As the machine helps the patients to connect with doctors virtually on the telehealth platform, thereby bridging the gap of accessible and economical healthcare, especially in rural and far-flung areas. The first model was built as an automated machine where a patient could just walk in and do tests on his own and consult with the doctor on his own as well. However, the rural walk-in patients were looking for someone to assist them with the Health ATM. Thus, it was decided the machine should be manned by a local person, usually a community health worker or someone who understands the culture and dialect of the community and can communicate proficiently and effectively. The human element to an automated Health ATM becomes the interface between the doctor and rural patient. Cloud connected technology has brought telemedicine to the fore, so that the best of doctors can see patients in rural setups and vice-versa. The added advantage of the Health ATM is that it saves all medicals records like an Electronic Health Record (EHR). All tests and diagnostics can be accessed by the doctors from the cloud. Paramedics are getting trained to perform diagnostic, thereby adding more feet on street with human guidance for the larger rural segment.
Healthcare perception is changing with the installation of Health ATMs. The concept of making healthcare accessible and affordable is trending across the country. The initiative was initially launched by the Uttar Pradesh government to rejuvenate health infrastructure into the large rural pockets, and under the project, 75 such machines were expected to be installed. Such Health ATMs have been installed by the Indian Railways at multiple stations where passengers can choose to undergo medical basic check-ups at a nominal fee of Rs 50 and additional check-ups within Rs 100.
The future of healthcare is digital, and Health ATMs are at the forefront of this transformation. With advancements in technology and integration with AI and Telehealth, Health ATMs are becoming more sophisticated, offering patients a range of advanced healthcare services. The future of health care delivery will be ‘Digital Hospitals’, where quality care will be provided to all at fraction of cost as compared to traditional hospitals. Health ATMs are the first steps towards an advanced type of digital health service accessible on demand at an ATM like interface that is scalable to reach the masses. The younger section, who fail to prioritise health over their life, this machine plays a key role in saving their time and conducting tests without having to wait for long periods. In aggregation, the health ATMs hold the prospective to revolutionise the healthcare industry through scalability and delivery of top-notch healthcare in India’s rural areas and help bridge the gap being faced by the rural faction.