Written by Rahul V Pisharody | Hyderabad | Updated: March 30, 2020 2:50:18 pm While the focus is on NRIs, especially the Telugu community abroad, Makthala says the TITA wants to expand the services to rural areas once the coronavirus pandemic is controlled. (Photo credit: TITA)

A new app developed by a Hyderabad-based software professionals industry body is promising free medical consultation online to Indians stranded in COVID-19 affected countries. The app, Digithon COVID19 Clinic, aims to connect those showing symptoms of the disease with medical experts likes Pulmonologists, Psychologists, Nutritionists, and general Physicians, etc.

The idea of the online clinic came to Sundeep Kumar Makthala, the founder and president of Telangana Information Technology Association (TITA), during his interactions with software professionals who are now confined to their rooms in countries like Italy, France, and the Netherlands, severely affected by the virus. A nationwide lockdown initiated from March 24 has ensured no one could travel to India. Several Indians are still stuck in various countries.

Those countries have refused to give treatment to those who are not their citizens. I spoke with Akhil, a student locked up in his room in Italy. He has mild-fever and cough but he does not find basic medical advice. In such a situation, we have decided to connect the dots, Makthala told indianexpress.com. The teleconsultation app was launched Sunday.

The TITA has developed the technical infrastructure to ensure end-to-end functionality with the possibility of n-number of parallel connections for video interaction between an expert and possible patient. We have a 30-member tech team working on this exclusively from Hyderabad, Chennai, and Seattle. Sixteen pulmonologists and 25 psychologists are on board at the moment. The service is free of cost and all that we are requesting from experts is to donate their valuable time for our sessions, said Makthala.

For starters, only non-resident Indians in countries severely affected by COVID-19 are allowed to request for online consultation. A user can request a video session on the app. On the other hand, a doctor willing to donate his time can make himself available through the app. The length of the session and the number of sessions required will be decided by the doctor himself. The schedule will be fixed and the video session will be recorded. A voice-to-text medical transcription will be generated and this can be used as a record for purposes like for insurance claims, he explained.

While the focus is on NRIs, especially the Telugu community abroad, Makthala says the TITA wants to expand the services to rural areas once the coronavirus pandemic is controlled.

Heres a quick Coronavirus guide from Express Explained to keep you updated: What can cause a COVID-19 patient to relapse after recovery? | COVID-19 lockdown has cleaned up the air, but this may not be good news. Heres why | Can alternative medicine work against the coronavirus? | A five-minute test for COVID-19 has been readied, India may get it too | How India is building up defence during lockdown | Why only a fraction of those with coronavirus suffer acutely | How do healthcare workers protect themselves from getting infected? | What does it take to set up isolation wards?

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Free medical consultation app for NRIs stranded in COVID-19 affected countries - The Indian Express