Pandemic bolsters case for telemedicine across Asia-Pacific

Growing acceptance of remote consultations is improving the availability of health care for underserved communities across Asia. — Gerd Altmann/Pixabay

Overstretched health services and social-distancing measures to combat coronavirus are giving a boost to telemedicine across Asia, a phenomenon likely to continue even after the pandemic has been controlled.

Economies as diverse as South Korea’s – with its world-class technology sector – and India’s, with low health-care costs and a deep pool of doctors, are exploring digital health possibilities at a time when patients may hesitate to visit clinics for fear of catching the virus.