SINA CONTINUES TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE TO URBAN SLUM COMMUNITIES DURING LOCKDOWN.

The COVID 19 crisis has directed government health resources towards treating patients afflicted with the deadly virus. While this addresses a pressing need, it cannot come at the cost of neglecting the responsibility to continuously providing health services to those who may be at risk from other prevalent diseases. These include the communicable spectrum such as malaria, typhoid, seasonal ailments and various infections, alongside non-communicable conditions such as diabetes and hypertension that often require day-to-day management. In these times, SINA has continued providing services to its communities by implementing a telemedicine health system at its clinics.

Through the telemedicine model, a trained clinical technician present at the clinic provides on-ground coordination to facilitate patient consults through video conferencing. SINA's pharmacy then dispenses the digitally prescribed medications. During these critical times, SINA has complied with and taken all necessary measures of providing PPE to its staff, implementing disinfecting measures and sanitization for staff and patients while maintaining physical distancing.

SINA has historically run its primary healthcare services with a state-of-the-art cloud based electronic medical records system based on international protocols, through which medical records of the patients can be accessed. This digital architecture enabled SINA's rapid transitions from daily OPD to telemedical health services in an effort to continue their mission to offer patients support in this time of need. This has helped fulfil the core...