Sankara Nethralaya's Telemedicine At Work

Here is a classic example of teleconferencing at work at Sankara Nethralaya. A 54-year female patient was reported to have signs and symptoms of corneal disease for the past four months. When she consulted Dr. Madhav Rao at Sankara Nethralaya's Bangalore center, at about 2.30 p.m. on April 5, 2005, he arranged for a teleconference with the cornea consultant Dr. Rama Raja Gopal at Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. She suggested that a corneal scraping be taken immediately for microbiological investigations for a more accurate diagnosis.
 
On the advise of Dr. S.S. Badrinath, it was decided to send one of our staff members from our clinical microbiology department to the Bangalore center to collect the corneal scrapings specimen from the patient. Mrs. B.Mahalakshmi, Senior Research Fellow from Sankara Nethralaya's microbiology department volunteered to go to Bangalore to collect the specimen. She left Chennai with the collection kit and the culture media required for inoculation and reached Bangalore the next day at 5.30 a.m.

The patient was requested to come in for an examination at 7.00 a.m on April 6, 2005 and Dr. Madhav Rao collected the corneal scraping for direct smear and inoculated it onto all the culture media. Mrs. B. Mahalakshmi then flew back to Chennai by 11.30 a.m.
 
On examination of the KOH (10%potassium hydroxide) Calcoflour white stained preparation Acanthamoeba cysts were seen and thus the diagnosis was made within 10 minutes after reaching Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. Dr. Madhav Rao was telephonically informed of the etiology of the corneal ulcer and the appropriate treatment was advised. The following drugs were provided: 0.02 % PHMB in Moisol (10 vials) was prepared at the hospital (as this is not commercially available) and was sent along with Golden eye drops (2 vials) and Neosporin ointment by courier around 3.30 p.m.
 
Thus the teleconference on the clinical ocular examination of the patient and the efforts put in by the well-coordinated teamwork of Sankara Nethralaya doctors and the microbiology team, resulted in accurate etiological diagnosis to enable initiation of appropriate therapy within 14 hours of reporting to the doctor at Bangalore Sankara Nethralaya center.

Comments

[M.Vasu]

To: Sankara Nethralaya

I have undergone treatement on 09.04.04. My MRD no:747190. I Have been asked by doctors to take
heart report for which a report shall be forwarded i.e
on which part of heart test to be taken and for what purpose. I have been assured by your doctors that report shall be forwarded to me with in ten days.Till date I have not received any confirmation from you.
Therefore I request you to kindly send me the report immeadiately to my address:No.42,Sastri Nagar Main Road,Adambakkam,Chennai-600 088 to enable me to proceed with my heart testing and submit the same to you.
Thasnking you.M.Vasu.

[Vasanthraj]

I am suffering from central retina vein acclusion(crvo) since 12 years and I am a regular visitor to main hospital as well as Bangalore branch,when ever i visit I find that some or the other patient friendly measure has taken place I really appretiate your initative.
Since two years back suddenly I found that sight in my other eye also diminished I immediately rushed to Chennai.There i got some investigations and diagnosed as temporal vein acclusion has occured and i was asked to report at Bangalore branch for further treatment and care.
At Bangalore branch Dr.MADHAV RAO took care of my eye brilliantly,At one point Dr.MADHAV RAO needed the results of investigations done at Chennai main branch. Being in such a situation,I just rang to Chennai and spoke to PRO and explained my situation he just told me that he has understood my problem and promised to do needful and requested me to call back him after fifteen minutes,I patiently at Bangalore branch,to my surprise and shock i found that the fax Machine started working and wow!!! it were my reports that to within seven to eight minutes this is a just single incident to show what a brilliantly thought mechanism is in place in the EXCLUSIVE interest of patients.
I am really proud to say that such a world class Eye Hospital is present in my mother INDIA
I thank Dr.BADRINATH for thoughtfully providing us such a magnificiant marvel of science in our reaches at very low cost.I wish you a long and happy life.
-VASANTHRAJ
#332,58th cross,
3rd Block,
Rajajinagar,
Bangalore-560 010
ph:9845221309

[ramakrishna raju]

Well, I think it would have been much easier for the patient to visit chennai for treatment rather than send your technician by flight, sending medicines by courier.. who bore all the cost ? patient or the institute ? .....looks like an effort by the institute to glorify their telemedicine project. Corneal scraping is a basic requirement for corneal ulcer management..your doctor at bangalore could not diagnose a corneal ulcer ???

please improve on your basic services.. I brought my mother to your hospital and had to wait for 4 hours to complete the consultation. She was diagnosed with cataract and then a huge list of investigations were ordered by the physician, including echo... I took her to one of the local ophthalmologist.. Dr Arul Mozhi Varman.. he just got a regular blood sugar test.. posted her for surgery the next morning, and one hour later she was back home. Her vision improved immediately the next day.. how convinient..