Lets consider a case of a person ‘John’ having a stroke, it’s critical that he gets medical attention right away. Immediate treatment may minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death. The golden hour is that crucial time after getting a stroke where he needs that early administration & treatment. It would be an impossible task to get this if John would be living in the interiors or rural part of our country and this could cost John his life.

As per the article in Times Of India, Front page dated 16/ 08/2012 and titled: “Unhealthy at 65: India has 76% shortfall in government doctors”, there is acute shortage of doctors and others medical practitioners’ in India. This is according to the Rural Health Statistics 2011 in 12th Plan draft chapter. The situation is rather more alarming in rural area where majority of our population resides with only about 20-25% of doctors treating them. The concept of Tele-ECG was introduced more than 30 years ago, through the use of telephone lines. However, this application is limited to communication between fixed locations equipped with conventional handsets. The latest trend is to develop wireless telemedicine built around satellite communication, which requires expensive equipment, dedicated links and skilled manpower. Similarly, wireless Local Area Networks (LANs) and short-range Radio Frequency (RF) transceivers, as used in hospitals, can’t be utilized for rural applications. Therefore, for worldwide communication and rural health care, mobile cellular network like Global System for Mobile or better a Third-Generation network is needed.

1. Now with the availability of Tele-ECG, it is now possible to have that emergency care. Here’s how –
2. John approaches primary healthcare center, say a nearest / local doctor’s clinic with intense chest pain.
3. The rural doctor takes an ECG of the patient with help of mobile operated portable Tele-ECG machine ACE
4. The ECG Report is generated on doctor’s mobile phone and he sends it to the expert at the nearest city hospital through email or whatsapp.
5. The expert instantly goes through the report and replies with his recommendations.
6. The rural doctor then administers the required emergency treatment and sends the patient to the nearest city hospital for further treatment.
7. This saves the patient’s life & complications, as he received the right emergency preliminary treatment within the Golden Hour..