Underlining that telemedicine is no longer an option but a necessity, the minister of the state for the Ministry of Science and Technology called for such innovative healthcare solutions in a country like India where there is a shortage of medical professionals and millions of people live in rural areas without direct access to proper healthcare or treatment.

The minister said the implementation of telemedicine technology could save India between 4-5 billion US dollars every year and replace half of the in-person outpatient consultations. He said telemedicine in the country has proven to be cost-effective.

Addressing the CII Asia Health 2021 Summit on the theme of 'Transforming healthcare for a better tomorrow', he called for innovative healthcare solutions like telemedicine in a country like India where there is a shortage of medical professionals, and millions of people live in rural areas without direct access to proper healthcare or treatment.

Noting that telemedicine is no longer an option but a necessity, he said digital health is the next frontier to ensure healthcare delivery is accessible, available, and affordable.

The minister said health technology is becoming central to healthcare as it leads to improvement of health literacy, patient empowerment and engagement, and enable better self-management of care. It is also one of the key components of efforts to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of healthcare delivery while lowering healthcare costs.