If telemedicine’s gains are to be truly equitable, the focus needs to be on rural women
India's eSanjeevani telemedicine platform has successfully facilitated millions of consultations, helping to bridge the healthcare gap in rural areas. However, the article argues that true equity remains elusive due to systemic social and domestic barriers facing rural women.
Why it matters
It highlights the limitations of digital infrastructure in addressing deep-seated socio-economic inequalities in healthcare access.
After the pandemic, India began reshaping its healthcare system through eSanjeevani, a telemedicine service that has handled well over 470 million consultations across 1.3 lakh health centres nationwide. Instead of travelling long distances, patients receive care directly on their phone screens. The 80% specialist shortage in remote villages shrinks, when video calls replace commutes. Still, counting consultations misses the real story. Digital care stays out of reach for countless rural women not because of technical or infrastructural constraints alone, but because of deep-rooted imbalances at home and inside medical institutions.
The article focuses on social justice and equity, which is a common framing in progressive journalism.
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