Telemedicine app ‘VISIT’ launches doctor on call service

Hyderabad, Sep 13 (PTI) VISIT, an on-demand healthcareservice provider, has partnered with Spice Digital to launch adoctor on call service on BSNL network and plans to tie-upwith other telecom players to go national. The service, called ‘JIYO Behtar Expert Talk Health Line’,has already been made live in North Zone with state-run BSNLas the first telecom partner. VISIT is a platform that connects patients withpractitioners anytime, anywhere through smartphone orcomputer. The telemedicine app was launched earlier this yearby four BITS Pilani graduates — Anurag Prasad, Vaibhav Singh,Chetan Anand and Shashvat Tripathi. Spice Digital is a mobile value added service (VAS) andfinancial technology (fintech) service provider. "We are now doing over 500 telehealth consultations onthe BSNL network on a daily basis. These are people from Tier3 cities and villages in North Zone. Soon we will be launchingin West Zone, South Zone and East Zone," Prasad told PTI. "We will also be launching the service on Idea andAirtel very soon," he said. The states covered under North Zone include UttarPradesh, Haryana, Jammu& Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab andHimachal Pradesh. The doctors signed up for the service primarily belongto the same zone. The service was launched keeping in mind thechallenges faced by people while they want to consult a doctorin case of a medical emergency, VISIT and Spice Digital said. Also, long waiting hours, distance of hospital/cliniccan take a toll on the patients’ health, they said. Using the platform, users can now reach qualifieddoctors to discuss health-related issues. It can also be usedfor solutions to issues like women’s health, nutrition, babycare, skin disorder, stress, anxiety, relationship, parentingand chronic diseases, they said. According to VISIT and Spice Digital, studies haveshown over 70 per cent of the health issues faced by peoplecan be managed over a phone call or via text messaging. "This service would help patients avoid long hours oftravelling time for health consultations, especially for thoseliving in rural areas where the nearest doctor could be 200kmaway," they said. PTI RS RSYKISRYS