Why is a news
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Seventeen digital dispensaries are going to be established in remote and inaccessible areas of Odisha’s Ganjam district to provide primary medical support.
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The digital dispensaries will provide outpatient department services through online video consultation with doctors.
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The units will also serve as basic pathological testing laboratories and generic medicine-dispensing centres.
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A pharmacist will manage the dispensary and patients will be able to video-chat with the doctor.
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The pharmacist will upload required pathological test reports to the consulting doctor and will also dispense medicines as prescribed by the physician.
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In March, the State health department had asked all District Collectors to provide a list of possible locations for digital dispensaries.
Inaccessible areas
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The digital dispensary project aims to establish units in remote and inaccessible areas that have no Primary Health Centre within a 5-km radius.
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The office of the Ganjam Chief District Medical Officer stated that they had listed 35 unserved or underserved locations for establishment of ‘digital dispensaries’ in the district.
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The department, however, approved only 17 locations.
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These 17 proposed digital dispensaries will be established in seven out of the 22 blocks of Ganjam district.
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Four will be set up in Sanakhemund, five in Surada, two each in Khallikote, Buguda and Beguniapada; and one each in Kavisuryanagar and Chikit.
Source
The Hindu