Indian parents, worried about their toddlers’ health amid the coronavirus pandemic, are pushing telemedicine into the mainstream.
Paediatrics has become the fastest-growing speciality on digital health platform Practo. Since the beginning of March, the number of queries related to child health has increased by 350% on the platform.
Given the ongoing national lockdown, many queries from parents are about the impact of delayed vaccinations, especially those for influenza, and tuberculosis. Many also had queries about painless vaccinations for infants.
To avoid immunization delays, some parents are also considering home vaccinations. However, this has its drawbacks.
“Parents should be cautious before opting for it as reactions to vaccines can become serious and it will be difficult to treat such emergencies during home administration. More importantly, it is vital that parents are well-informed in order to make the right decision for their infants because every vaccine contributes to their overall healthy well-being,” said Prashanth S Urs, a senior consultant neonatologist and paediatrician at Bengaluru’s Apollo Hospital.
Practo also observed that parents in metro cities are the most active on the platform.
Additionally, 67% of all paediatrics-related consultations came from men, while 33% were from women, according to Practo.