Post-Covid Pandemic, India Sees A Four Times Surge In Online Doctor Consultations: Report

There has been a four-fold increase in online doctor consultations in India, since the Covid-19 pandemic, revealed a report on Monday. The report by Practo, a digital healthcare platform, showed that Tier 1 cities account for most online consultations (72 per cent). The appointments have grown by 6 times, since 2019, in these cities. Tier 2 cities contribute 12 per cent towards online consultations, while the remaining 16 per cent come from the rest of India. Video consultations have also seen tremendous growth - from just 20 per cent in 2019 to 90 per cent in 2023.

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“With the increasing penetration of smartphones and declining data prices, digital platforms have become instrumental in bridging existing gaps in the healthcare ecosystem and we have seen growing acceptance for online consultations from patients and healthcare professionals,” said Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Health Strategy Officer, Practo.

The top specialities for consultation include general physicians, dermatology, gynaecology, paediatrics, and ear, nose, and throat (ENT). Consultations soared the most for eye care (1332 per cent), followed by paediatrics (1203 per cent) and orthopaedics (896 per cent), the report said.