Safdarjung Hospital Set to Launch India’s First Online ICU Follow-up Clinic

The newly introduced digital clinic will primarily operate through the government’s eSanjeevani teleconsultation portal, enabling patients who have recently been discharged from the ICU to connect with doctors remotely.

Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, is set to launch India’s first online ICU follow-up clinic aimed at supporting patients recovering after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU).

The initiative is designed to provide continued medical monitoring and guidance to critical care survivors through virtual consultations.

The newly introduced digital clinic will primarily operate through the government’s eSanjeevani teleconsultation portal, enabling patients who have recently been discharged from the ICU to connect with doctors remotely.

The service is intended to help identify and manage post-ICU complications, which may include physical weakness, breathing difficulties, psychological stress, and other long-term health issues that often arise after critical illness.

The initiative is aimed at supporting ICU survivors who often require structured follow-up care but often face challenges in returning to hospitals frequently due to distance, financial constraints, or physical limitations. By adopting an online-first approach, the hospital aims to make follow-up care more accessible and convenient for patients and caregivers.

Through the clinic, patients can receive consultations from a multidisciplinary team, including intensivists and other specialists when required.

Additionally, the system is also expected to allow doctors to review patient recovery, adjust medications, recommend rehabilitation measures remotely, and determine if an in-person hospital visit is necessary.

Further, this move is expected to enhance long-term recovery outcomes for ICU patients while also reducing unnecessary hospital visits.

Hospital officials noted that digital follow-up models such as this can support continuity of care and strengthen post-discharge monitoring, particularly for remote areas.

With the launch of the online-first ICU follow-up clinic, Safdarjung Hospital aims to expand the use of digital healthcare services to enhance patient support beyond hospital stays.

Commenting on the new initiative, Dr. Anirban Hom, Head of Critical Care at Safdarjung Hospital, said, "In India, ICU follow-up is extremely necessary because many of our patients come from distant places. Once they return home after treatment, it becomes difficult for them to travel back for regular check-ups.”

He stated that many patients are not fully recovered at discharge and need continued medical guidance and rehabilitation support.

“Through this system, they will be able to contact us directly online. We can assess the problems they are facing and based on that, we can decide whether their treatment can be managed where they are currently staying or if they need to come back for further care," he further added.

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