* L&T donates equipment
* Hospital linked to NIMHANS

A telemedicine facility was launched at K.R. Hospital here this morning with equipment comprising computer, webcamera and internet connectivity provided free of cost by Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

With this, the K.R. Hospital became the first Government hospital in city to have the facility.
The facility, for direct contact with National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, to treat patients at K.R. Hospital based on consultations with specialists at NIMHANS was inaugurated by Dr. D. Nagaraj, Director of NIMHANS. The project was made possible by the efforts of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI).

Rohit Mehta, General Manager and Head of Medical Equipments and Systems, L&T, was the chief guest. Dr. D. Venkatesh, Dean and Director, MMC &RI presided. Dr. K. Geetha Avadhani, Medical Superintendent, K.R. Hospital, Dr. M.A. Shekhar, Co-ordinator for Tele-medicine and Professor of Medicine, MMC&RI, and other doctors were present.

Speaking to the media earlier in Pathrakarthara Bhavan, Dr. Nagaraj explained that the facility can be used not only for treating patients at the hospital but also teaching graduate and post-graduate students at MMC&RI in the subjects of NIM-HANS' specialisation. Neuroradiology would be covered at present and other specialisations would be added in the project at a later date, he said.

Equipment for a similar facility was also provided by L&T to NIMHANS, he recalled. The telemedicine facility created at K.R. Hospital for the first time in the city would be operative from today itself, he disclosed.