The government has taken initiative  to introduce telemedicine service at 16,000 community hospitals across the country and bring 2000 hospitals under digital service, said sate minister for ICT Junayed Ahmed Palak. The junior minister came up with the information while talking at a virtual seminar on ‘Digitalisation of health sector amid Covid pandemic’. READ: 35,000 modern digital labs to be installed to give more access to girls: Palak “The health sector of the country will be digitised fully and every hospital of the country will be operated centrally using technology. The medicine and diagnosis records will be brought under an interoperable system through centralised health management software,” he said. Besides, initiatives will be taken to save the health records  of each citizen of the country in all government and private hospitals, he said adding that a project titled ‘Digital Health For Nation’ involving Tk 1600 crore will be taken to this end . Under a pilot project, 30 health services will be digitalized at Sylhet Osmani Medical College and later the project will be implemented in all district and upazila hospitals, said Palak. He also mentioned that over 60 lakh people have  received telemedicine services in the last 16 months through health service hotline 333 while 98 lakh people have completed their registration to take Covid-19 vaccine through ‘Surokkha’ app. READ: 170,000 schools to be connected with high speed internet by 2030: Palak Dr. ABM Muksudul Alam, Principal of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Professor Dr Md Sharfuddin, vice-chancellor (VC) of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Prof. Dr Ismail Khan, Vice Chancellor of Chittagong Medical University, Brig. General Brayan Bankim Haldar, Director of Osmani Medical College and Hospital, Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) joined the seminar.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) will launch Covid-19 telemedicine services from early Friday at its five maternity centres to provide 24/7 medical services and novel coronavirus-related information. To provide twenty-four-hour service in each maternity centre, three doctors will be available on a rotation basis. The service will continue until further notice. Also read: Covid-19: Telemedicine service launched for govt officials The maternity centres are run under DNCC's Urban Primary Healthcare Services Delivery Project in Moghbazar, Mohammadpur, Mirpur-1, Pallabi, and Uttara. Also read: Coronavirus: One lakh RMG workers to get free telemedicine service

As fear grows among people over the fast transmission of deadly coronavirus and taking treatment going to a doctor or hospital has become riskier for all kinds of patients, including the covid-19 ones, telemedicine services have appeared as a solution amid the pandemic crisis.