Coronavirus lockdown: AIIMS to start teleconsultation facility for follow-up patients

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, when most of the regular Out Patient Departments (OPDs) and clinics are closed, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has started the teleconsultation facility for follow-up patients of the hospital.

The patients can book advance appointments by calling the number 9115444155. After verification of the UHID numbers, an appointment will be scheduled, and a message will be sent to the patients through an SMS regarding the same.

The facility of booking appointments will be available from 8:30 am to 2:30 PM on all working days, a statement released by AIIMS said.

"On the day of their appointment, the patients will receive a phone call from the concerned department on their registered phone/mobile numbers during the regular OPDS/Clinics timings," the statement further added.

Due to coronavirus, which is an infectious viral disease, many hospitals have closed down their outpatient departments which have caused a lot of inconvenience to patients suffering from other diseases like diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders. Therefore, most doctors have started the online consultation process to look after these patients.

In case of serious diseases, a conclusive diagnosis cannot take place in the absence of physical examination, but a general plan of treatment can be discussed to allay the patient's worry in times of such crisis. 

Currently, with 1718 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of COVID-19 cases have reached 33050, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated.