Digital Dispensary Initiative

As part of its CSR initiative, WBPDCL has started setting up Digital Dispensaries at its captive Mines and Power Plants. Already such dispensaries has been set-up at Pachwara Coal Mines and Santaldih Thermal Power Station.

Objectives

  • Ensuring Universal Healthcare Access by targeting atleast 1 OPD with tests & medication per person of over 90% of population within 5 km radius of the Center within a one-year period.
  • Providing minimum set of investigations within the same area to ensure prompt diagnosis. This will include Malaria/Dengue detection, Hemoglobin, Blood sugar, BP, Urine analysis, ECG, SpO2, Pregnancy detection, HIV, Liver & Kidney function tests, tests on different Blood parameters etc.
  • Creating linkages with existing Secondary & Tertiary Healthcare facilities nearby and others.

The initiative also enables the employees at Mines and rural mass avail high quality primary healthcare. Such dispensaries provide the primary healthcare services:

  • Consultation with certified doctors (GP and Specialist) through video conference
  • Pathological tests and medical investigations.
  • Medicines.

The facility aims at addressing the following problems:

  • Scarcity of doctors in rural areas / underserved areas
  • Lack of access to timely and appropriate investigations.
  • Lack of Evidence based Medicine & rational healthcare
  • High out of pocket expenditure.
  • Lack of emergency care & timely diagnosis of a condition.
  • High lag between onsets of ailment to start of treatment. Referral Linkages
  • Integrating Community Health Workers

Clinical Diagnosis Support System (CDSS)

  • A Semantic Algorithm based suite allows doctors to do differential diagnosis, titrate dosages, check investigations & interpret them real time, check for treatment protocols, titrate dosages for patient age & weight, check drug / food / alcohol interactions, check contraindications and create a safe prescription. It also stores EMRs
  • An Internet Of Things (IoT) device for real time medical Device Data collection & performing most clinical investigations real time (within 12 min) enabling doctors to make decisions real time. Vitals + tests. Also brings connectivity even with 2G and power without grid.
  • Linking of Generic Medicines enables end to end treatment.
  • Data and analytics enable Health Informatics and Sentinel Surveillance.

Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries are 2-fold:

  • All, especially mothers & children for healthcare
  • Employment opportunity for women in rural areas in the Centers as Nurses, Nursing Assistants & Pharmacy Aids.