CHENNAI DEC. 12. From a conference room in Chennai, a consultant in paediatric cardiology and a neurosurgeon today diagnosed an atrial septal defect in a seven-year-old and parkinsonism in an old man in a makeshift clinic at the Theagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, using telemedicine facilities set up in the college.

Consultant in paediatric cardiology, Prem Sekar, and neurosurgeon, K.Ganapathy, were demonstrating how an alliance between the Anna University and the Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation (ATNF) could deliver speciality healthcare to almost all rural and suburban areas in Tamil Nadu through such facilities set up in the 240 engineering colleges affiliated to the university. The ATNF is a non-profit organisation set up by the Apollo Hospital Group.

Announcing the commissioning of the Anna University - ATNF - Tele-Health Unit here today, the vice-chancellor of the Anna University, E. Balaguruswamy, said all engineering colleges would adopt five or six villages around them to extend quality healthcare services to rural population. "We are converting every (engineering) college into service healthcare centres", he said. As per the proposal, consultation will be provided free for a year. The colleges will provide technical infrastructure and allow the public to use their facilities.

"The accuracy rate in telemedicine diagnosis worldwide is 95 per cent", said Prof. Ganapathy, also director of telemedicine, Apollo Hospital, and adjunct professor, School of Electronics and Telecommunication, Anna University.

However, for the telemedicine network to work effectively, rural and suburban areas had to be equipped with sophisticated diagnostic equipment like echocardiogram, which was used in the demonstration today. But many remote areas did not have such facilities as they did not have competent persons to interpret results, said Prof. Ganapathy. However, since telemedicine made interpretation of results by specialists possible, district hospitals should now be equipped with such facilities, he suggested.

The network, however, would likely to face heavy charges in terms of STD bills, he pointed out. The unit was trying to impress on the Government for toll-free lines and working on alternatives to cut down communication costs.

The tele-health units would also serve as centres for creating awareness on various health issues, primarily on AIDS. A WHO panellist for AIDS, Usha Rani, said the telemedicine network would be a big step in the fight against HIV by making specialist doctors available to the rural masses and college students. The chairman of Apollo Hospital Group, Prathap C.Reddy, the CEO of Apollo Health Street, Vikram Chhatwal, the managing director of Apollo Hospital, Chennai, Preetha Reddy, participated. The unit will be formally inaugurated on December 14 during the silver jubilee celebrations of the Anna University.