ISRO TELEMEDICINE NODES

Background:

• During winter months, many of the remote posts are cut off for several months because of adverse terrain and extreme weather, making emergency evacuation near impossible.
  
  
• Communication between soldiers deployed and the medical staff through satellite-enabled telemedicine nodes will transform the delivery of health care till the weather clears up.
  
  

Details of initiative:

• ISRO will establish 53 more nodes in the first phase over and above the existing 20, in various establishments of the Army, Navy and Air Force across the country.
  
  
• On the Siachen glacier, in addition to a functioning node, four more nodes are being established.
  
  
• Agencies involved: It is a joint initiative by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS).