Jamshedpur, April 9: Patients in the steel city will no more have to undergo the rigour of travelling miles to seek specialist doctors’ tips.

They would be able to talk to them directly through teleconferencing.

In its latest move, the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital is all set to start telemedicine facility and a cornea bank on its premises.

The decision to start these facilities was taken following a recent meeting between the state health department officials and the government hospital authorities.

Telemedicine allows patients to interact with physicians live over video.

Besides immediate treatment, it helps store video/still images and patient data for diagnosis and follow-up treatment.

“Apart from MGM Hospital, Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Ranchi and Patliputra Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) at Dhanbad will start the telemedicine facilities,” said the nodal officer of telemedicine at the MGM hospital, N.K. Sinha.

The cornea bank to be set up at the eye department of the hospital in the steel city would help in cornea transplantation.

Associate professor of ophthalmology at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Arjun Lal said that the registration process for eye donation had already begun.

A large number of steel city residents have come forward for the noble cause, the associate professor said.

“Around 300 people have registered themselves for donating their eyes. The corneas will be preserved in the bank for transplanting the organ to a needy person,” said Lal.