India, Australia deepen ties in telehealth, launch Virtu-Care

Strengthening ties in the healthcare sector, India and Australia on Monday unveiled Virtu-Care, a telehealth initiative targeted at disabled individuals.

The project, launched at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi and led by the Nossal Institute at the University of Melbourne, is funded by the Australia-India Council. It will look to pair Indian and Australian researchers “to analyse effective models of disability-inclusive virtual rehabilitation”.

According to The George Institute India, which will be an implementation partner for the project, the aim of the project is to “design an inclusive virtual telehealth model that specifically meets the health and rehabilitation needs of people with disability.”

Australian High Commissioner Barry O’Farrell pointed to the project as an example of the India-Australia relationship moving from potential to implementation.

The Virtu-Care project follows a 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between India and Australia that aimed to advance cooperation in the field of disability policy. The signing of the MoU was overseen by then-President of India Ramnath Kovind, who was visiting the University of Melbourne. LiveMint