Dr Pallavi Joshi, Consultant Psychiatrist, Manipal Hospital Varthur Road, Bengaluru
"This is a great move by the government, in fact, this was much needed indeed. According to the Lancet Report, the amount of rising in depression and anxiety was up by 40 per cent each. There is a dearth of Psychiatrists in India, we have one psychiatrist for 3500 patients. So, seeing everyone in person was a big challenge, teleconsultation is a big boon for our fraternity. Patients can definitely talk more on teleconsultation, and we'll be happy to interact with them and look at their expressions. Also, some of these patients who are afraid of stigmatization can consult online from anywhere."