Lucknow, Dec 15 (IANS): The Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) has signed a pact with the state-owned PowerGrid for setting up tele-ICUs in Uttar Pradesh.

Telemedicine Intensive Care Units (tele-ICUs) are 24x7 remote ICU patient monitoring systems, aided by real-time two-way audio-visual communication and alert system.

"PowerGrid has signed an MoU with SGPGIMS in Lucknow, in the presence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, for establishing POWERGRID-SGPGIMS Tele-ICUs in UP," said a statement issued by the SGPGIMS.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by V.K. Singh, Director (Personnel) on behalf of PowerGrid and SGPGIMS Director Prof. R.K. Dhiman.

If the ICU aid is delivered to the needy patients at the right time and in the right manner, it can save many lives. However, ICU treatment is costly, the statement said.

Compared to ICU, tele-ICUs can help in enhancing public health services at a much lesser cost, it added.

The statement, however, did not share any details with respect to the number of tele-ICUs to be set up or their locations.

PowerGrid, under the Ministry of Power, is a Central Transmission Utility (CTU) and operates nearly 90 per cent of inter-state/inter-regional transmission networks in the country.