How AIIMS doctors from across the world have joined forces to impact 1 Million lives in India during COVID-19
Dr. Ashish Atreja leads digital health innovation at Mount Sinai, New York, where he helped outreach to 1 million New Yorkers during COVID crisis. Now, he is bringing same technology to India in partnership with Dr. Devashish Saini and Rx.Health supported Health AAJ network.
On first look, the story of the two doctors quite similar. Both graduated from premier AIIMS institute and went to USA and got trained in medical informatics. Dr. Ashish Atreja stayed in US and now leads digital health innovation at Mount Sinai Health System, New York. He launched the world’s first digital platform where doctors could prescribe apps directly to millions of patients at once. During COVID crisis, Mount Sinai spinout, Rx.Health, led by Dr. Atreja helped outreach to around 1 million New Yorkers to support digital and virtual care.
Seeing the COVID crisis in New Delhi and India, Dr. Atreja and Dr Saini have now partnered to help launch Health AAJ physician led care network where hospitals and physicians will be provided license-free access to Rx.Health platform to support video visits as well as digital care programs across all specialities. The goal for Health AAJ to help fight COVID-related misinformation communicated through WhatsApp and other channels and amplify the trusted voices of physicians through digital channels. Health AAJ has also partnered with pan-India non-profit Swasth app initiative to provide many of these digital programs for free.
“Our common goal is to bring the best digital health platform and digital monitoring across diseases to create first of its kind trusted virtual care physician network to deliver best possible care, to all those in need during this crisis. This network will also provide a unique public-private channel for physicians practicing abroad who have also been looking for best way to contribute to Indian ecosystem- whether it’s through contributing knowledge of different specialities, collaborative research or providing second opinion services from abroad.” – says Dr. Atreja.
“Ross Clinics mission is to make “friendly neighbourhood’ trusted family doctor available to everyone in India. By supporting our physicians with best available digital care we will now have ability to touch millions of patients’ lives and build a national most trustworthy collaborative care network. Last week alone, we prescribed Health AAJ preventive digital care plan to more than 10,000 patients in a day, something that seemed impossible till few months ago”- says Dr. Saini.
“Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart diseases and cancer require continuous education, and connected care at home. By providing digital health platform that supports education, behavior modification and monitoring for thousands and millions of patients without consuming physicians time, Rx.Health Aaj network provides resources that most of Indian physicians currently lack.”- Says Dr. Kalra, Senior Consultant Bharti Hospital and President of Endocrinology Society of India.
“The ability to digitally “bulk prescribe” most trusted and accurate health information along with resources to “chat” with physicians at the click of a button, is bringing “hospital to home” care across India through Health AAJ trusted care network”