Use of Telemedicine in Evading Cholera Outbreak in Mahakumbh Mela, Prayag, UP, India: An Encouraging Experience

Abstract

Telemedicine (TM) services a process in which expert medical advice from afar is provided using electronic signals to transfer the medical data from one site to another. As a pilot project to assess the efficacy of TM in developing countries like India, a telemedicine center was set up at the main hospital of Mahakumbh mela--a grand religious fair, at Prayag, a city in north India. The daily reporting of the in-patient and outpatient cases at the fair revealed a surge of diarrhea cases among the pilgrims at the fair. This information was communicated to the referral center at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), which, with the help of its microbiology department, conducted microbiological examinations of stool samples and rectal swabs of patients along with various water samples. Vibrio cholerae was isolated in 22.6% (7/31) of the samples. This information was immediately relayed to the Main Hospital at the fair online, and then to the health authorities, who took strict and prompt measures to improve hygiene. Subsequently, the number of diarrhea cases decreased considerably in a matter of a few days, and thus an epidemic disaster was averted, which could have created havoc in such a large gathering.

Emergence of medicine for mass gatherings: lessons from the Hajj

“…12 Diarrhoeal diseases, including cholera, continue to be a risk at the gathering despite rapid monitoring and prompt public health interventions. 13 Another pilgrimage with a focus on water and religious rites is to Lourdes, France. This village in the Pyrenees attracts more than 5 million Catholics and other enthusiasts every year.…”

A comprehensive study of disease pattern in world’s largest mass gathering

“…Thirteen Stool samples were sent for testing of cholera to referral lab Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Indore and found 2 cholera positive. A study in 2003 reported encouraging results from the use of telemedicine during the Fair for evading cholera epidemics [15].…”

A comprehensive review of the Kumbh Mela: identifying risks for spread of infectious diseases

“…No epidemics have been reported since then, although there are studies cautioning about potential epidemics in the future [20,21]. A study in 2003 reported encouraging results from the use of telemedicine during the Mela for evading cholera epidemics [22]. The surge in cases of diarrhoea during the fair was reported to a tertiary referral centre using a telemedicine service that uses electronic signals to transfer medical data from one site to the other.…”