K.R. Hospital’s Tele-ICU hub to be replicated across State 

Says Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundurao on his first visit to Mysuru after taking charge

Mysore/Mysuru: The Tele-ICU facility at State-run K.R. Hospital that provides 24×7 clinical support to remote hospitals in the region will be replicated across the State, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundurao. He is in Mysuru today.

Inspecting the hospital for the first time after becoming the Health Minister, Dinesh Gundurao was impressed by the Tele-ICU facility that is equipped with high-end video conferencing equipment, which allows doctors and nurses at the remote hospitals at Taluks and villages to interact with specialists in Mysuru at the Tele-ICU Hub in real time.

 Dean and Director of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI) Dr. K.R. Dakshayani  told the Minister that the specialists at the Tele-ICU Hub can monitor the patients’ vital signs, review their medical records and provide advice and guidance to the doctors and nurses at the remote hospitals.

The facility is effective in improving patient outcomes and has led to a reduction in mortality rates, a decrease in length of stay in the ICU, and an improvement in patient satisfaction, Dr. Dakshayani  said. The Minister, however, expressed his reservations about the congested space where the Tele-ICU Hub has been set up at K.R. Hospital and asked the Hospital authorities to shift the facility to a bigger space.

The facility also provides access to critical care specialists for patients in remote areas who would otherwise not have access to this level of care and reduces costs by reducing the need for patients to be transferred to larger hospitals.

 Dinesh Gundurao said that the facility will be replicated across Karnataka at all District Hospitals so that they can be a valuable resource for rural hospitals under their jurisdiction. It provides a way to improve the quality of care for critically ill patients, even in remote areas, he noted.

During his visit, the Minister inspected the Emergency Ward of the K.R. Hospital, ventilator and ICU facilities. He interacted with the doctors and patients. Dinesh Gundurao later headed to the Mysuru District Hospital on KRS Road where he held a closed-door meeting with the Health Department officials.

MLAs K. Harishgowda and Anil Chikkamadu, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department T.K. Anil Kumar, Health and Family Welfare Commissioner D. Randeep, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. K.H. Prasad, District Surgeon Dr. T.  Amarnath, District Vector Borne Diseases Control and Food Control Officer  Dr. S Chidambara and other health officers were present.