The inauguration of the Bengaluru-Ballari tele ICU hubs took place at Victoria Hospital on Friday. Two new tele ICU hubs were unveiled at the Trauma Care Centre in Victoria Hospital, Bengaluru, and Ballari District Hospital. These hubs are set to connect with 20 taluk hospitals in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi divisions.
In a virtual inauguration ceremony on Friday, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar inaugurated the Tele-Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) in Ballari district. The initiative, established by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the Vinod Khosla Family Foundation, aims to provide quality healthcare services to economically disadvantaged sections and reduce the need to refer patients to distant locations for advanced treatments.
Under the 10 BedICU program, doctors at the hub hospitals will remotely monitor critically ill patients admitted to the spoke hospitals linked to them. The initiative aims to eliminate distance as a barrier to quality healthcare, addressing the urban-rural healthcare divide and providing a vital lifeline to those who lacked access to critical care.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who presided over the launch, emphasized the significance of the Tele ICU project in bridging healthcare gaps and ensuring access to quality medical services for individuals in both urban and rural areas.
The Tele-ICU hub at VIMS will be managed by a team of expert doctors and trained nurses who will remotely supervise and provide real-time treatment. The Tele-ICU facilities will also extend to taluk hospitals in the Kalyana Karnataka region, covering areas such as Sandur, Siruguppa, Hospet, Yelburga, Lingsugur, Sindhanur, Shahapur, Basavakalyan, Aland, Jewargi, and Yadgir hospitals.
B. Nagendra, Minister for Youth Empowerment and Sports and Tribal Welfare, highlighted the importance of a robust emergency response infrastructure, especially during critical situations like cardiac arrests and strokes. The implementation of Tele-ICU facilities in taluk hospitals, equipped with a proficient team of medical professionals, is expected to significantly improve emergency medical services.
