ATC CSRFI partners with Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation to launch digital dispensaries

The digital dispensaries will be operational at five digital dispensaries in rural Madhya Pradesh

ATC CSR Foundation India (ATC CSRFI), the CSR arm of American Tower Corporation (ATC) India, as a part of its digital communities program, together with the Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation (ATNF) has launched five digital dispensaries in rural Madhya Pradesh. The digital dispensaries will be operational at Indorama, Depalpur, Barwaha, Icchawar and Rehti and will be accessible to around 200 villages across 4 districts and will offer healthcare service availability to nearly 2.5 lakh people. The digital dispensaries will conduct free screening camps periodically and virtual doctor consults daily. These centres will use hybrid internet connectivity to deliver high-quality healthcare via telemedicine. They will also stock and dispense 60+ essential drugs to patients. All five digital dispensaries have easy accessibility to people.

This initiative is funded by ATC CSR Foundation India and will be operated by Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation. The long-term objective is to bring healthcare services almost at the doorstep of rural communities and empower them with primary, preventive, and specialty teleconsultation services as a solution. In addition, this initiative will help reduce out-of-pocket expenditures among lower-income groups, improve wellness by controlling non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and educate people on both NCDS and Communicable Diseases (CDs) to improve the health indicators in the region.

Sanjay Goel, EVP and President, Asia Pacific, American Tower Corporation (ATC) said, “While advances in telemedicine is helping many, we see gaps in health care services for those who lack digital connectivity. Bringing the expertise of two industries together is a perfect example of how cross-industry collaboration can have a direct impact on lives. Together we will expand access to health care through digital connectivity which will lead to a healthier way of living for many.”

Vikram Thaploo, CEO, Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation and Apollo TeleHealth, said, “In a country like India, where the doctor-patient ratio is well below the recommended level, hospitals are overloaded in urban areas, and healthcare service providers remain sparse in rural areas, telemedicine has the potential to act as a major leveller. ATNF has made major contributions to the country’s primary healthcare through Public-Private Partnerships and has touched more than 13 million lives with over 16.5 million teleconsultations delivered, 20,000 clinical transactions on a daily basis and beyond 1.5 million NCD screenings. As the sector grows, we are actively partnering with governments, corporate and other healthcare providers to expand the reach of telehealth services further.”