Swasthya Ingit Crosses 7 Crore Consultations, Boosts Rural Telemedicine Services in Bengal

Swasthya Ingit, the flagship digital health scheme of West Bengal, has crossed 7 crore telemedicine consultations-a significant leap in rural telemedicine services and remote specialist access across the state.

The state-run programme, aimed at connecting village-level Suswasthya Kendras with higher medical hubs, now conducts more than 80,000 consultations daily.

As Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted on X on November 17, the system is powered through 11,000+ health and welfare centres supported by 63 specialist hubs, consisting of over 9,000 doctors.

Initially introduced during the COVID-19 crisis, Swasthya Ingit has steadily expanded since its formal launch in August 2021. What began with tele-neurology support for stroke care has grown into a multi-specialty platform covering cardiology, oncology, obstetrics, tuberculosis, gastroenterology, paediatrics, nephrology, viral hepatitis, psychiatry, and breast diseases. Telemedicine services have also been extended to correctional homes to widen access for underserved populations.

A senior health official explained that tele-cardiology and tele-neurology have become very important in emergency care, especially in the management of myocardial infarction and stroke. Through tele-neurology alone, specialists have guided treatment for 9,552 stroke patients, including 1,575 thrombolysis procedures, thus assuring timely interventions that would otherwise require long-distance travel.

According to the officials, the most in-demand currently is for pediatric and maternal care, reinforcing the gulf in access to health care in rural areas that the Swasthya Ingit scheme is trying to bridge.

Besides specialist availability, the initiative ensures lower out-of-pocket expenditure, early diagnosis, and the possibility of regular follow-ups of chronic conditions.

The transformation of the Suswasthya Kendras into decentralized e-clinics has helped ease the pressure on district hospitals and tertiary centres through rural telemedicine services under Swasthya Ingit, enabling quicker, more coordinated care.

The state has also made investments in training block- and subdivision-level doctors to deliver online consultations effectively, ensuring that the telemedicine system functions smoothly at the level of front-line teams.

Banerjee described Swasthya Ingit as perhaps the most impactful digital health intervention undertaken by West Bengal, emphasizing that even beyond the pandemic, the platform has kept on flourishing, closing longstanding gaps in accessibility and affordability for rural communities.

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