Implementing Telemedicine Solutions for Enhanced Healthcare in Remote Tribal Communities

Hand in Hand Switzerland, along with J&K Wonderland Foundation and Hand in Hand India, is undertaking a new 12-month project ‘Implementing Telemedicine Solutions for Enhanced Healthcare in Remote Tribal Communities’ in Tamil Nadu, India. Tribal locations suffer from poor road connectivity, and people often walk several kilometres through the jungle to reach a motorable road, where they wait for a passing vehicle to take them to the nearest bus stop and then board a bus to the Primary Health Centre that often lacks sufficient staff, equipment, and essential drugs.

This project, therefore, is being undertaken with the objective of inculcating and improving the health-seeking behaviour among tribal communities. The project looks to reach 20,000 people across 640 sessions with telemedicine; 6,000 people through community-based non-communicable diseases (NCD) risk assessment training with the convergence government NCD programme; 960 people through NCD screening, referral, and speciality medical camp; 1,000 women and girls through anaemia control programme; and 500 youth and women through the lifesaving first aid training programme.