SHIMOGA, India, October 13, 2011 – Cisco today announced the launch of its Cisco® healthcare solution pilot program to enable remote healthcare for two primary healthcare centers from the district hospital in Shimoga District. The chief minister of Karnataka, Shri D.V Sadananda Gowda, and Aravind Sitaraman, president of Inclusive Growth, Cisco, attended the event.
With this project, Cisco advances its Inclusive Growth vision of using technology to bridge the urban-rural gap. Earlier this year, Cisco launched the initiative so that rural communities can get access to essential urban services like healthcare, education, a marketplace and access to public services through technology and bring them into the mainstream economy. Using the network as a platform, these services can bring about transformational change and greatly reduce the urban-rural divide.
Last year, Cisco introduced its healthcare solution in its corporate social responsibility project – Samudaya – to enable access to remote healthcare to flood-affected people of Raichur on a proof-of-concept basis. So far, using the medical services of RxDx multispecialty hospital in Bangalore, this technology has enabled remote consultation for over 850 patients.
In the Shimoga pilot, the healthcare solution will connect primary healthcare centres (PHC) at Kuppagadde in Soraba Taluk and Guttiyadehalli in Thirthahalli Taluk to McGann hospital in Shimoga city. Two other PHCs located at Antaragange in Bhadravathi Taluk and Kappanahalli in Shikaripura Taluk will be connected to the District Hospital within a month. Patients visiting these two PHCs will have their vitals checked by the paramedic/nurse at the centre while the doctor at the McGann district hospital provides consultation and diagnosis in real time. Cisco's healthcare solution creates an environment where patients and doctors can meet each other virtually through video without having to commute long distances.
Nearly 70% of India's population lives in rural areas, but 80% of the total available doctors are in urban areas and patients often have to travel long distances at great cost to get quality healthcare. This gap, coupled with the shortage of local doctors, poses a huge challenge for delivery of rural healthcare system. Cisco's solution alleviates these issues for the rural population
The proactive initiatives of the government of Karnataka to use Cisco technologies to provide remote healthcare is a positive step to leapfrog these challenges and bring about inclusive growth.
Executive quotes
Shri D.V Sadananda Gowda, chief minister, Karnataka
"A significant number of population lives in the rural areas in Karnataka, and this is the case with the entire nation too. Empowering and encouraging growth in rural areas is pertinent to the overall growth of any state or the country. To achieve this I believe we must quickly devise solutions that will ensure the delivery of the basic amenities, such as quality healthcare and education which cannot be compromised: quality healthcare and education to this segment of the population. In this regard Cisco Inclusive Growth solutions are a step in the right direction. I want to congratulate Cisco on its mission to provide access to healthcare using its technology. Their solution will, more than ever, ensure better access to medical treatment for the population of Shimoga."
Aravind Sitaraman, president, Inclusive Growth, Cisco
"Healthcare in India is a major concern for those who cannot afford it or access it. While this amenity is available easily to urban population at very affordable rates, it is not ubiquitous in rural areas. Governments across all states of India recognize this gap. While some are in the process to adopt new solution towards making an impactful change, others are starting to do so. We are happy to collaborate with visionary governments like Karnataka in implementing the new wave of growth and enablement. This project marks significant progress towards the Inclusive Growth goalof using technology as the enabler to bridge urban-rural gap and Cisco's vision of changing the way people work, live, play and learn."
About Cisco Systems
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.
# # #
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.
