Communication satellite based network for telemedicine in India

Few indicators reflect the well being of a nation as succinctly as the health of its people. The infant mortality rate (IMR) is probably as good an index as the per capita income. Vast improvement can be brought about in health with capital investment in medical spheres. Focusing on health in general and telemedicine in particular can be a worthwhile strategy for India, striving to improve the quality of life of its people. Even with some of the best brains in medical science India faces an acute shortage of specialist doctors with most of them confined to major cities in the country. This is wholly inadequate to cater to a population of approximately one billion, the majority of which reside in villages and smaller towns. One of the fundamental issues that needs to be tackled for healthy living is to provide timely advise on the health status and diagnosis of diseases, particularly in rural and tribal areas. Telemedicine although being practiced worldwide since some years, it is being increasingly used by many countries in recent years due to the drastic improvements in telecommunication technology and infrastructure.