As a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Hairline International Hair & Skin Clinic has launched free tele-dermatology clinical consultation services for patients at Magadi General Hospital at Magadi. This has been done in association with the Health & Family Welfare Services, Government of Karnataka.

Several people of Magadi and surrounding region have been suffering from hair and skin related ailments like hair loss, acne, pigmentation to more serious bacterial, fungal and viral skin and hair infections, eczema and allergies including alopecia, contact dermatitis, herpes, melasma, vitiligo and psoriasis. They did not have access to expert medical consultation, until now. Realizing this lacuna, Hairline International took it on themselves to set up a free tele-dermatology consultation service for the people of the region.

This service and consultation room were inaugurated  by M V Savithri, IAS, Former Health Commissioner and Secretary Panchayathraj and Dr. Amarnath T, DHO, Ramanagar District. The inauguration was followed up with a live demonstration of a consultation through a tab which has been provided to the hospital for the service.

Addressing the media, M V Savithri, IAS, Former Health Commissioner and Secretary Panchayathraj said, “This initiative by Hairline International allows for patients from rural areas to avail of expert consultations without having to wait for long hours in a hospital or for specialized doctors who make occasional visits. The ease of online evaluation and prescription gives people from the region specialized care and is a great example of the use of technology in dermatology and skincare.”

Speaking on the launch, Bani Anand, Founder and Managing Director, Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic says, “We at Hairline have always taken our corporate social responsibility initiatives very seriously. It is with this intention that we volunteered to tie up with the Health & Family Welfare Services of Government of Karnataka to provide this free service.”

Elaborating on the service, Anand explains, “For three days of the week, doctors at the Magadi Hospital, at a specially allocated consultation room in the hospital, will be able to have their patients clinically evaluated for hair and skin ailments free of cost via a software that acts as an interface between the hospital doctor and the dermatologist at Hairline. Prescriptions will also be provided online. Hairline International will plug into the software that will serve as an interface from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays”.

Speaking on what dermatology and trichology issues will be addressed via this online service, Dr. Dinesh Gowda, Senior dermatologist, Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic says, “This interface technology allows an expert at Hairline International to clinically evaluate a patient for ailments of hair loss and skin, their intensity and offer a line of medication that is given through a prescription. It provides local doctors with the ability to provide their patients with expert care. Tele-dermatology may be used to diagnose acne and acne scars, pigmentary conditions, wrinkles, photo-aging, sagging skin, hirsutism, stretch marks and much more”.

Dr. Premalatha V, Dermatologist, Hairline International Hairline International Hair and Skin Clinic, who performed the demo further elaborates on these consultations and explains, “Our dermatologists and trichologists will be available for consultation as well as providing prescriptions. The hospital’s software will have all the necessary online forms that will enable us to take a patient’s history, provide prescriptions and maintain a record of their consultation. The focus here is on clinical evaluation of the patient more than aesthetics. Should a further input be required by a higher authority, then the patient will be referred to a district hospital”.

Currently the service is offered at one hospital and will soon go on to cover two more in the region.