ZHL Rajasthan - Gearing up in the era of Digital Health How Dr on call is changing the future of healthcare
                     ZHL Rajasthan - Gearing up in the era of Digital 
Health: How Dr on call is changing the future of 
healthcare?
The medical industry is largely dependent and typically 
functions on physical interaction - with patients visiting a 
doctor, the doctor checking the pulse, temperature, feeling for 
lumps, peering into mouth for obvious signs of infections etc. 
However, with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the 
year 2020, these practices have taken a backseat or have been 
largely suspended. 
 
Ziqitza Healthcare, a leading healthcare organisation states 
that with the emergence of new variants, the coronavirus 
pandemic is becoming unpredictable as the days pass, and 
healthcare systems across the world, including that of India, 
are strained during the lockdowns and the months that 
followed, a number of hospitals were sealed due to workers 
succumbing to the coronavirus or testing positive. 
In a scenario like this, Ziqitza explains that 
telemedicine is being touted as a more practical and 
feasible solution. Ziqitza Healthcare ltd states that 
the adoption of telemedicine technology makes 
healthcare more accessible and presents itself as a 
more efficient and convenient option for the patients. 
It is not that telemedicine is a new concept in India, 
back in the year 2015, the central government had 
launched SEHAT (Social Endeavour for Health and 
Telemedicine). The initiative connected 60,000 health 
structures across the country in order to provide 
health services with no geographical foundations. 
Ziqitza Rajasthan, explains in the current scenario, when the country 
is on a recovery path post the COVID-19 pandemic, and majority of 
this recovery is led by digital technologies, the healthcare industry is 
also witnessing increased adoption of digital technologies. An online 
consultation picked up trend amidst the pandemic and still continues 
to be in practice. 
Telemedicine goes beyond infrastructural and 
geographical boundaries and offers accessibility to 
the patients. It has the power to fill the gaps 
exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Ziqitza Limited explains that Telemedicine doesn’t 
mean that people stop going to the doctors for 
physical check-up, it is one of the smarter solutions 
available just like the video conferencing solutions. 
The three A’s of healthcare - awareness, 
accessibility and affordability are easily addressed 
by telemedicine or by having a doctor available on 
call.
ZHL Rajasthan says that interestingly, virtual healthcare increases 
operational efficiencies of the doctors, improves their feedback 
and support mechanisms, and reduces load on hospitals. Virtual 
healthcare eases the process of primary care, getting second 
opinion of a medical practitioner, and also aids the doctors in 
screening patients and determining the need for physical check-ins.
 
In a vast country like India, providing access to in-person 
healthcare is particularly challenging due to geographical and 
limited resources limitations. Ziqitza Limited Rajasthan, points out 
the facts that in India, 60 percent hospitals, 80 percent doctors and 
75 percent dispensaries are operational in urban areas - which is 
just the 28 percent of the population. This highlights the huge 
accessibility challenge that the healthcare ecosystem in India faces, 
and telemedicine, or virtual healthcare offers a practical solution.
Ziqitza Health care limited stresses that with the technological 
advances made in virtual healthcare and rapid advances registered in 
ICT, India has the capacity and potential to completely overhaul and 
change the healthcare delivery ecosystem within the country.  
However, in India, one of the primary challenges is not adoption of 
technology, but the mindset of the people. 
Any change in status quo will always be met with inhibitions and 
adoption challenges. Virtual healthcare, or more popularly known 
as telemedicine, have its fair share of challenges, such as the 
inability of the patients to understand the challenge of time and 
keep pestering doctors post consultation for doubt clearance. This 
pestering doesn’t occur during physical consultations. While 
technology grants accessibility, its usage must be set by 
limitations.  
 
Covid-19 has most certainly brought in newer ways of working and 
it is upto us how we adapt to it and adopt it and attain normalcy. 
While physical consultations have always been the norm, virtual 
consultations offer a smarter way to connect with healthcare 
professionals saving time and improving operational efficiency. 
There are pros and cons of both, however finding a balance 
between the both and leveraging the advantages of the both is the 
way ahead.