Expanding Rural Healthcare: ATC CSR Foundation and Apollo Telemedicine Network’s Initiative
In a significant stride toward improving healthcare access in rural India, ATC CSR Foundation India, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of American Tower Corporation (ATC) India, has partnered with the Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation (ATNF) to launch five digital dispensaries in rural Madhya Pradesh.
Digital Dispensaries for Rural MP
These digital dispensaries, set up in Indorama, Depalpur, Barwaha, Icchawar, and Rehti, aim to provide accessible healthcare services to approximately 200 villages across four districts. They are expected to benefit nearly 2.5 lakh people in the region. The dispensaries will not only offer virtual doctor consultations but also conduct periodic free screening camps.
Enhancing Access through Telemedicine
Using hybrid internet connectivity, these centers will deliver high-quality healthcare services through telemedicine. Moreover, they will stock and dispense over 60 essential medicines to patients, making healthcare more accessible in these underserved areas. All five dispensaries have been strategically located for easy accessibility.
A Collaborative Effort for Quality Healthcare
This initiative is funded by ATC CSR Foundation India and will be operated by Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation, a not-for-profit subsidiary of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd—a prominent private healthcare provider in India. The long-term goal is to provide world-class healthcare services to rural communities, empowering them with primary, preventive, and specialty teleconsultation services.
Improving Health Indicators and Reducing Costs
Apart from expanding healthcare access, this initiative aims to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for lower-income groups and improve overall wellness by addressing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). It also focuses on educating the community about both NCDs and Communicable Diseases (CDs) to enhance health indicators and control the rise in chronic health conditions.
Empowering Rural Communities
Sanjay Goel, EVP and President, Asia Pacific, American Tower Corporation (ATC), emphasized the significance of this collaboration, stating that it aims to bring basic healthcare and medicine closer to rural populations, leveraging uninterrupted power supply and connectivity provided by ATC’s tower sites.
Vikram Thaploo, CEO of Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation and Apollo TeleHealth, highlighted the potential of telemedicine to bridge healthcare gaps in India, where doctor-patient ratios are often insufficient, especially in rural areas. He praised ATNF’s contributions to primary healthcare and its mission to expand telehealth services further in partnership with organizations like ATC CSR Foundation India.
