Bayer Plans to Open 27 Telemedicine Centres in India over Next 2 Years

Bayer, a global corporation with core competencies in the life sciences fields of healthcare and nutrition, announced on Thursday that it will establish 27 telemedicine centres in India over the next two years. The telemedicine centres will be established by Bayer Foundation India in 12 districts across eight states to ensure timely access to quality healthcare, build local health capacities, and support local innovations, the company said in a statement.

These are being established in collaboration with RxDx Healthcare and Piramal Swasthya, the Piramal Foundation's public health arm, it was added.

The company stated that it has identified Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh as locations for telemedicine centres to provide complete healthcare solutions as well as training and awareness sessions on health, hygiene, and nutrition.

D Narain, Bayer's President of South Asia and Global Head of Smallholder Farming, stated that the government's goal of providing access to affordable healthcare in rural areas and underserved sections of society can be met through technology and innovative solutions.

"Telemedicine centres provide local communities with access to some of the best healthcare practitioners without requiring long-distance travel. As a result, we hope that this project will provide comprehensive telemedicine solutions for local communities while also developing healthcare infrastructure in the identified locations" Narain continued.

RxDx Healthcare and Piramal Swasthya bring expertise in running telemedicine centres in the targeted districts' primary health centres (PHCs). According to Bayer, both partnerships will enable the establishment of telemedicine centres using a unique hub and spoke model.

RxDx Healthcare's telemedicine command centre will be in Bengaluru, and it will serve 14 PHCs in Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

Piramal Swasthya's hub, on the other hand, will be in Ranchi and will serve 13 centres in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, according to the company. The centres will provide teleconsultation for approximately 20 different medical specialties. Each centre is expected to serve at least 25-35 villages and 35,000 to 50,000 beneficiaries, according to the announcement.