To address the problem of scarcity of doctors in rural India, the Union Health Ministry will soon establish a National Medical College Network (NMCN). In NMCN, all the government medical colleges will be interlinked to create a national task force on tele-medicine.

In the first phase, 41 government medical institutions will be interlinked to enhance technical education skills and provide outreach services or tertiary care services to peripheral health facilites.

"Tele-Medicine centers will be established in these medical colleges which will also facilitate online consultation, expert care and follow up to remote centers whereever tele-medicine facilities exist. People in the rural parts of the country will be highly benefited," said Mr Navneet Kumar Dhamija, deputy commissioner, e-health at the Health Ministry, in a statement.

Over 2.5 lakh villages will be benefited through the tele-medicine network.