India in the next four years will launch a satellite to be used exclusively for telemedicine, AFP/Yahoo News reports. The satellite, or Healthsat, will allow physicians and patients in rural areas to consult with specialists in cities, said G. Madhavan Nair, chair of the Indian Space Research Organization.

The space agency uses existing satellite transponders to serve 100 telehealth stations throughout the country, Nair said. The organization in 2001 launched its telemedicine project, which so far has been used to treat more than 25,000 patients, AFP/Yahoo News reports (AFP/Yahoo News, 3/17).

The satellite will lower the cost of establishing a telemedicine care center from $3,300 to $1,100, which is within most village hospitals' price range, Nair said. The space agency will help villages set up centers before the launch and then connect those centers to the satellite, Nair said. He said the satellite project will cost between $13 million and $22 million (iHealthBeat, 2/11/2004)......Read More

Source: www.ihealthbeat.org