Bayer Opens 3 Telemedicine Centres to Enhance Healthcare Experience in Karnataka

Raichur: Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition has set up an oxygen plant with 250 LPM capacity and three telemedicine centres in the Raichur district of Karnataka, through Bayer Foundation India. These CSR initiatives are in line with Bayer’s core values of ensuring timely and affordable healthcare for underserved communities, building local health capacities and supporting local innovations.

To address shortages of medical-grade oxygen in hospitals, the plant has been set up with a booster and a capacity supply of 50 beds. The pressure swing adsorption (PSA) Oxygen plant will generate, supply and store 93-95 % Pure Medical Oxygen for 50 Beds at a time and also support a booster set up for filling up oxygen cylinders. This in-house oxygen facility will help hospitals treat critically ill patients with greater confidence and will expand its infrastructure to better equip the hospital for future contingencies.

In light of the heavy demand for medical care at Manvi General Hospital at Raichur during the pandemic, the construction of the plant was initiated as a precautionary measure to ensure proper oxygen support for COVID patients. The new plant will ensure an uninterrupted supply of oxygen to not only COVID patients but also to other patients in critical care in the hospital.

Apart from setting up an oxygen plant in the district, Bayer in partnership with RxDx Healthcare is establishing three (3) telemedicine centres in Raichur, providing complete healthcare solutions to the local community as well as training and awareness sessions on health, hygiene and nutrition.

Speaking on the inauguration of the Oxygen plant, Dr. Avinash Menon, Deputy Commissioner, Raichur said “Government hospitals and primary health centres are crucial for providing access to affordable healthcare in rural areas and upgrading the health infrastructure in these establishments is a key priority for the administration. Private players can play an important role, by assisting the government in achieving this goal and I welcome Bayer’s initiative to equip the government hospital in Manvi with an oxygen plant and set up telemedicine centres in the district.”

Talking about the project, Mr. D Narain, President, South Asia and Global Head of Smallholder Farming, Bayer said, “We are happy to supplement the government’s efforts to set up critical health infrastructure like oxygen plants in government hospitals across the country to ensure better preparedness to meet any eventuality. The oxygen plant and the telemedicine centre will also work toward fulfilling the government’s vision to provide affordable & quality healthcare in rural areas. We hope our contribution to the health infrastructure in Raichur district will help people with timely and proper medical treatment and boost the local health infrastructure.”

Identified in alignment with the District Health Officer, the telemedicine centres are co-located in the Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs). A trained GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery) and a coordinator is appointed at each centre who will be responsible for daily operations. The GNM will register the patient, check the vitals, and create a case, after which teleconsultation will be facilitated with a General Physician (GP). Based on the diagnosis, the GP will provide a prescription and the medication and follow-up plan will be explained to the patient. If follow-up with a specialist is required, the nurse will facilitate consultation with the respective specialist. About 20 different medical specialities will be offered via teleconsultation. Each centre is expected to cater to at least 15-20 villages, and cover between 7,500 to 10,000 beneficiaries.