Four ‘Panahgahs’ in capital get telehealth kiosks

Islamabad : Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Shelter Homes Naseem ur Rehman Sunday said telehealth kiosks were fully functional at four ‘Panahgahs’ of the federal capital, providing free treatment to its dwellers with underlying conditions.

He told APP that the initiative was taken by the shelter homes management in collaboration with EZ Shifa, which was a private company, virtually connecting volunteer teams of doctors, from Pakistan and abroad with marginalized segments of the society.

EZ Shifa set up its first ‘Apna doctor telehealth kiosk’ recently at Tarnol Panahgah, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Telehealth kiosks at G-9, Tarlai, Tarnol and Sabzi Mandi ‘Panahgahs’ are getting positive response as so far around 100 dwellers have availed access to medical care and consultation with online doctors, who are part of EZ Shifa network in Canada, the United States of America and Pakistan, he noted.

The focal person expressed the hope that 50 ‘Panahgahs’, operational across the country, would get the facility by the end of February.

Explaining the way, Kiosks operated, he said the healthcare staff deputed at the ‘Panahgahs’ helped the residents feed their main vital signs in the kiosks after connecting them with the online available medical professional.

“Once connected, the patient gets an opportunity to have face to face interaction with the doctor so that he could fully explain his condition and avail prescription in printed form from the printing system attached with the kiosk,” he added.

To a query, he said the kiosk was designed by keeping the coronavirus standard operating procedures under the consideration to reduce the risk of virus outbreak at the facility.

It had thermogun and sanitizer facilities as well.

He said the initiative was part of the ‘Promoting Health Lifestyle’ campaign, launched at the shelter homes in the wake of first wave of coronavirus pandemic.

The drive was meant to transform the shelter homes in neat and clean facilities, where the daily wage earners could enjoy healthy lifestyle apart from food and shelter.

“We are driven by the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is determined to provide free healthcare facility to every citizen of Pakistan,” he remarked while mentioning free health cards initiative of the present government.