Tag: healthcare

Health

MDsave Announces Partnership with Present Moments Recovery; Brings Accessible and Affordable Addiction Rehabilitation Services to Self-Paying Patients

Feb 23, 2024 by Sujata Muguda 0 Comments #healthcare, #Mark Gladden, #MDsave, #Nashville, #San Diego

Nashville, TN, San Diego, CA – February 23, 2024 – MDsave, the healthcare services platform connecting providers, employers, and patients to transparent and transactable healthcare, announces today its partnership with San Diego-based Present Moments Recovery, a premier, multi-level, long-term addiction treatment center. Present Moments Recovery now offers extended care services on MDsave’s database of procedures to increase self-paying patients’ access to affordable care.

This is the first instance where MDsave has collaborated with a recovery center, expanding access to attainable rehabilitative services to the greater San Diego community. MDsave’s search engine for medical procedures will now showcase rates and information on PMR’s inpatient/outpatient addiction recovery, detox, and treatment centers, as well as its By The Sea Recovery Sober Living support program.

“Enriching our range of services is vital to ensure our community has access to a comprehensive spectrum of healthcare options, all provided at equitable and transparent prices,” stated Dani Snow, Account Manager at MDsave. “Our aspiration is that even if just a single individual chooses MDsave when they might have otherwise foregone necessary care, we are contributing to meaningful change.”

“Present Moments Recovery is dedicated to offering high-quality, affordable and evidence-based treatment that empowers life in recovery,” said Mark Gladden, CEO of Present Moments Recovery. “With a whole-health approach, recovery is achievable and realistic for all those affected by mental health and substance use conditions. This partnership with MDSave will introduce a revolutionary payment system that will facilitate access to substance use disorder treatment and housing in a transparent and ethical manner.”

Through this partnership, both firms aim to provide the community access to approachable, accommodating resources that can oftentimes feel intimidating to obtain.

Business

Post Budget Reaction – Healthcare

Feb 2, 2024 by Sujata Muguda 0 Comments #healthcare, #Naresh Ahuja, #Pritika Singh

Pritika Singh – CEO at Prayag hospitals Group...

Ms Pritika Singh, CEO at Prayag Hospitals Group, says, “I applaud the forward-looking initiatives in the new budget. Extending the benefits of Ayushman Bharat to ASHA and Anganwadi workers demonstrates a commitment to comprehensive healthcare. The government’s focus on promoting vaccination for girls aged 9-14 to prevent cervical cancer is a crucial step towards a healthier future. The plan to establish more medical colleges further strengthens our healthcare infrastructure, ensuring a brighter and healthier tomorrow for all. These visionary measures underscore the collective responsibility towards building a resilient and inclusive healthcare ecosystem for the nation’s well-being.”

Mr. Naresh Ahuja, Founder and CEO at SMS Scientific Pvt Ltd. (1)

Naresh Ahuja, Founder, SMS Scientific Products Pvt Ltd, says, “I commend the government’s visionary approach in the budget, foreseeing five years of unprecedented development. The emphasis on comprehensive ‘governance, development, performance’ reflects a commitment to progress. The budget’s focus on establishing more medical colleges is promising, anticipating a new generation of doctors who embody inclusivity and prioritize effective patient-doctor communication. This progressive budget sets the stage for transformative growth and a healthier, more connected future for our nation.”

Business

Union Budget Reactions From The Industry Stalwarts Of Eastern India || Real Estate, Healthcare , Entertainment, E-Waste Management/ Sustainability & E-Mobility

Feb 1, 2024 by Sujata Muguda 0 Comments #E-Mobility, #E-Waste Management/ Sustainability, #entertainment, #healthcare, #real estate, #Union Budget Reactions

Union Budget Reactions – 2024

Sahil Saharia, CEO, Shristi Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd

1. Mr Sahil Saharia, CEO, Shristi Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited

One notable aspect of the current budget is the government’s dedication towards addressing the housing requirements of the middle class. The primary goal of this initiative is to enable these individuals to either buy or construct their own homes. This declaration represents a significant stride in promoting affordable housing and realizing the dream of homeownership for the middle class. By specifically targeting individuals in rented dwellings or informal settlements, the government is recognizing the challenges faced by a substantial portion of the population and is implementing concrete measures to provide them with a viable path to owning a home.

Rishi Jain_Managing Director_Jain Group (3)

2. Mr Rishi Jain, Managing Director, Jain Group

There are no unnecessary populist measures, big or structural changes or needless twiddling of tax rates. This is a welcome move since businesses thrive on stability and doling out freebies at tax payers expense is unwelcome.

The move to bolster PMAY – Grameen program and to accelerate the housing for all mission is obviously a cause for celebration . I predict the higher capital outlay towards long term infrastructure will also have a positive effect on Real estate industry.

Domestic Tourism encouragement and financing can also be seen as positive. As with all previous budgets of FM, there is no hype, rather a quite confidence to prioritise India’s finances towards long term solutions. I am confident that the Indian economy will witness optimism going forward.

Arya Sumant MD Eden Realty, JPG (2) (1)

3. Mr Arya Sumant, Managing Director, Eden Realty

We welcome the government’s decision to launch a scheme for deserving sections of the middle class living in rented houses or slums to build or buy their own houses. This will have a long-standing effect on not only the real estate industry but also the related industries like housing finance, construction materials like cement etc. We expect a more robust plan in the final budget to be presented in July.

Mr Sanjay Jain , MD, Siddha Group

4. Mr Sanjay Jain, MD, Siddha Group

We extend our heartfelt appreciation for the government’s laudable decision to introduce a visionary initiative in the interim budget catering to the deserving segments of the middle class, particularly those residing in rented houses or slums, empowering them to ‘acquire a home of their own’. This judicious move promises not only to boost the real estate sector but also the ancillary industries such as housing finance, material sourcing, architecture and design etc.

Mr Tushar Choudhary, Founder & CEO, Motovolt Mobility

5. Mr Tushar Choudhary, Founder & CEO, Motovolt Mobility

We are optimistic about the government’s commitment to enhancing the e-vehicle ecosystem and promoting bio-manufacturing. We see this as a positive step forward and believe that Motovolt is poised to be a key player in this transformative journey. The emphasis on eco-friendly manufacturing is praiseworthy, and as a Kolkata-based company, we are particularly pleased to see the focus on empowering the eastern region of India. Our cutting-edge e-bikes portfolio, aligned with the government’s vision outlined in the interim budget, offers diverse choices to fulfil consumer needs.

We are confident that Motovolt’s innovative, affordable, and environmentally friendly micro-mobility solutions will contribute significantly to economic development and environmental sustainability. While we appreciate the steps taken in the budget, we were eagerly anticipating more details on the developments of FAME-III. EV OEMs have successfully revolutionized electric bicycles in India, and we hoped for coverage under FAME-III to help e-bike makers conquer the final frontier of affordability and inclusivity in a much stronger manner in the years ahead.

Ms Priyanka Surana Bardia, Director, Aakash Aath (1)

6. Ms Priyanka Surana Bardia, Director, Aakash Aath

The 2024 Union Budget is more focussed on the Holistic development of the Nation. The monetary investments pertaining to the implementation of the Welfare schemes decided for progress of the women, youth and the underprivileged section of the society will hugely benefit in forming an affluent and a steady Country. The Budget aims to equip the citizens with a modern education system where their aspirations will be fulfilled by the maximum utilization of their potentials. However, there are no as such new benefits on Taxation Policies but the Government’s focus on the certain new Tax Measures for the Start Ups will assist millions of entrepreneurs to explore and establish to new heights.

Nandan Mall, CMD, Hulladek Recycling

7. Mr Nandan Mall, Founder & Managing Director, Hulladek Recycling

With the increased focus on enabling technology adoption for those in the bottom of the pyramid and the commitment to be net zero by 2070, we are hoping for more stringent policies and regulations towards handling the electronic waste generated out of more technological development. Moreover the emphasis on sustainable mobility would definitely transform our country’s landscape. However with increasing EVs in the roads, an infrastructure for lithium ion battery recycling and regulations for disposal need to be in place for ensuring environmental sustainability.

Health

Jayesh Saini – The Man Revolutionizing Healthcare in Africa

Jun 7, 2022 by Agency 0 Comments #Africa, #healthcare, #Jayesh Saini

Jayesh Saini of Kenya, a second-generation Kenyan who is the founder of Bliss Healthcare, started his career in the medical field with wise guidance from his father, a medical practitioner who started the Nairobi West Hospital. Jayesh Saini’s vision is to provide quality and affordable healthcare to Kenyans through his wide network of hospitals.

Jayesh started his career in the family-owned Nairobi West Hospital, a world-class 400-bed fully-fledged medical facility. In almost 20 years, he has invested greatly in healthcare. Besides Bliss Healthcare, he owns Medicross Limited, comprising 10 outpatient centres equipped to offer comprehensive quality services.

“A country cannot purport to have a good healthcare system without the services being easily accessible, affordable and generally acceptable quality to majority of the populace. And none of the three is more important than the other but are like conjoined triplets – the three must go together.” These were the words of Mr. Jayesh Saini, the owner of Bliss Healthcare Limited, on why he decided to open the healthcare facilities across the country.

In his opinion, there is no point of having affordable services that are 100 kilometers away, or accessible services that are of poor quality or good quality services that are not reachable. Majority of healthcare providers in Kenya were concentrated mainly in Nairobi and the urban towns such as Mombasa and Kisumu with many of them being out of reach for most people in terms of charges. Even with government facilities spread out in many parts of the country, there is the issue of lack of medicines and equipment for diagnostics which means that most treatments are based on clinical assessment.

Started in 2012, Bliss Healthcare is an outpatient service provider, offers a wide range of services from routine health examinations to managing chronic conditions.

Reflecting on the journey, he had this to say, “Bliss began its journey with an aim of patient satisfaction and a goal of saving and enriching lives. We work to improve efficiency, flexibility and accountability in healthcare. We have developed bespoke models of healthcare that meet health-related needs of the diverse population we serve. Over time, the immense public approval of services offered by our employees has led to our robust growth.

Jayesh has managed to make sure the Bliss Healthcare clinics have over 1,100 healthcare professionals working throughout the facilities to serve more than 960,000 patients per year. It has an unmatched array of equipment, namely 6 CT Scans, 41 X-Ray machines, 56 Ultrasounds, 53 Dental Units and 48 Optical Units spread across the country. This infrastructure allows Bliss Healthcare to offer standardized quality of care throughout its footprint countrywide, making it the largest and fastest growing network of the healthcare providers in Africa.

 

Bliss Healthcare network of clinics include Doctor Consultation, Laboratory, Radiology, Optical, Dental care, Dialysis, all designed to increase accessibility to advanced primary, specialty, and ambulatory care services at affordable cost while improving the overall quality of the health.

 

In 2017, Mr Jayesh Saini added inpatient care by setting up two hospitals under LifeCare Hospitals Limited. In line with his passion, he is currently setting up another 6 facilities geographically spread in Kenya bringing total bed capacity to 2000.

 

On what he perceives to be the direction of healthcare in Kenya, Mr. Saini is quick to point out that there was a great challenge of affordability and accessibility of quality healthcare amongst majority of the people. He believes that healthcare is not a preserve of the rich or the urban areas only and that the services should be expanded even into the remotest areas noting that falling ill is not a choice issue but can and happens to people of all walks of life. He sees a future of accessible healthcare to all at rates that will be affordable especially for basic life saving primary healthcare. This he believes is an idea whose time has come and cannot be stopped. Bliss Healthcare is in the forefront, supporting the Government of Kenya’s initiative of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through providing affordable quality services spread throughout the country.

Besides his primary work in healthcare, Mr. Jayesh Saini is also very invested in Community Engagement. Bliss Healthcare routinely conducts more than 100 free medical camps as well as free health talks all around the country each year.

With an extraordinary array of resources for the provision of compassionate, state-of-the-art care, Bliss Healthcare is poised to identify and respond to the health-related needs of the diverse population they serve.

 

Business

Year End Quotes from Healthcare, Telemedicine, Medtech & Pharma Industry

Dec 30, 2021 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Aashish Chaudhry, #Ashok Patel, #H S Chhabra, #healthcare, #Medtech, #Nikkhil K Masurkar, #Pharma Industry, #Telemedicine, #Vikram Thaploo, #Year End Quotes

Vikram Thaploo CEO Apollo telehealth

Mr. Vikram Thaploo, CEO, Apollo Telehealth (largest and oldest multi-speciality telemedicine network in the world. A unit of Apollo Hospitals Group,)

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in massive disruptions across different industries and the healthcare industry has definitely been hit hard. But thankfully, the healthcare industry effectively managed the outbreak owing to full support from the central and state governments. Although there has been slow adaptation of digital tools in the healthcare industry, everything changed with the outbreak of the pandemic. The effect of healthcare technology and digital solutions was felt in many different ways than we could have expected. During the lockdown, both the patients and the healthcare practitioners realized the importance of digitisation. The pandemic has almost entirely changed how the healthcare industry in India operates. With telehealth, hospitals are now also concerned about reaching patients online, how to deliver and protect patient information. Telemedicine and remote patient monitoring are being increasingly adopted by service providers to virtually manage patients, predict and prevent illnesses, and improve clinical outcomes. There’s been almost an 80 per cent rise in consumption of digital healthcare services after COVID-19. Digital technologies like extended reality, cloud systems, big data, and artificial intelligence are taking the center stage to enhance user- experience and increase process efficiency. These technologies have accelerated digital Health, remote patient monitoring and timely clinical protocols.  In the coming years too, digital health applications & therapeutics, personal health wearables, and AI, NLP(neural language processing), robotics process automation or the RPA-enabled process accelerators in clinical prediction, operational transformation and compliance improvement will further drive and shape the future of healthcare.
 
Mr Nikkhil K masurkar Executive Director entod

Mr. Nikkhil K Masurkar, Executive Director, Entod Pharmaceutical (specializes in Ophthalmology, Dermatology and ENT)

The healthcare market can increase three-fold to Rs. 8.6 trillion (US$ 133.44 billion) by 2022. In 2020, in a very short period, Covid-19 became an unparalleled disruption to every area of the healthcare industry. The overall response to the pandemic witnessed both the private and government sector working in tandem. The private Indian healthcare players rose to the occasion and have been providing all the support that the government needs, such as testing, isolation beds for treatment, medical staff and equipment at government COVID-19 hospitals and home healthcare. The healthcare industry, along with the central and state governments, undertook a robust response plan to tackle the pandemic by setting up dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, isolation centers and tech-enabled mapping of resources. Despite initial hiccups, the healthcare system in India managed to withstand the pandemic. The different efforts in manufacturing of medical equipment, disposables, drugs and the most recent vaccine efforts made by India has placed us as a global leader. Primary healthcare has become accessible to the needy and poor through digital interventions. Even in areas like clinical trials, there is less intervention in terms of human repetitive reviews due to use of technological tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Indian healthcare sector is diversifying and opportunities are emerging in every segment, be it providers, payers or medical technology. With growing competition, organizations are cognisant of new challenges and are looking to explore the latest business dynamics and trends impacting their segment. India is full of opportunities for players in the medical devices industry. The country has also become one of the leading destinations for high-end diagnostic services with tremendous capital investment for advanced diagnostic facilities, thus catering to a greater proportion of population. The country’s competitive advantage lies in the increased success rate of Indian companies in getting Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approvals. India also offers vast opportunities in R&D as well as medical tourism. After the pandemic, governments and organizations are more focused towards building digital infrastructure and preventive healthcare which will surely pave the way to a brighter future for the healthcare industry in the years to come. ENTOD has grown by 45% year on year (YOY) in the Ophthalmic and Otological market as per the IQVIA MAT Nov 21 data. We have also gained the maximum market share 0.93% in this segment during this period. We expect to maintain the same growth in the next financial year too due to the momentum generated in the market and the launch of our new divisions, new innovative products and proposed increased field force numbers.
Mr. Ashok Patel, Founder and CEO, max Ventilator

Mr. Ashok Patel, CEO and Founder, Max Ventilator(India’s leading ventilator manufacturer)

Doctors say that the pandemic will always be there till at least  6 years. So all the businesses are prepared to deal with it. Even as Covid-19 has led to the rise of diagnostics and equipment along with an impressive rise in virtual and homecare-driven device segments, there has been an increased emphasis on making low-cost lifesaving devices such as ventilators and oxygen concentrators. Speaking especially of ventilators, from now onwards, the rule of 4 beds per ventilator will become more of a reality. With telemedicine and app-based online pharmacies becoming more of a constant surrounding our daily lives spurring innovations in related devices and equipment, the coming year will also see more action in big data, AI and machine learning-based disease prediction technologies, apart from a push to more sophisticated surgical devices meant for a range of conditions such as neurological, cardio-vascular, oncological, orthopedic or musculosketal conditions. However I must add that for AI-based ventilators to become a reality, more time would be needed. While make-in-India has gained momentum with the view to become more self-reliant, the Chinese products have received a setback. This means that quality will determine the entry of new products and more rigorous quality checks will increasingly become a norm. The coming year will also see major investment and focus on medical device components and parts in the country. At the same time, given the surging omicron cases outside India and a repeat of the same not totally being out of question in India, Covid-related devices and equipment will continue to remain a focus of attention of manufacturers in the country in the coming year.  

Dr H S Chhabra, Director, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre

Dr H S Chhabra, Director, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre


“The year 2021 was a challenging one for India’s health sector, as the lethal second wave of coronavirus struck. As a result, an unprecedented number of people lost their lives and there was unparalleled suffering for countless others. It did, however, serve as a valuable lesson for the entire healthcare industry, leading to the resurrection and upgrading of health infrastructure in both the public and private sectors. We not only have a completely functional oxygen plant but are also now fully equipped to face new challenges, such as Omicron, with a team of experienced doctors and paramedical staff. As we approach 2022, I strongly advise everyone to take both the doses of the vaccine, if already not taken. Also, continue to observe social distancing measures, wear masks, practise hand hygiene and adhere to all the guidelines issued by the Indian government.”

Dr. Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Healthcare

Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka


“Aakash Healthcare is ready for 2022, with a solid infrastructure in place to help counteract the possibility of Covid’s third wave. Since last year, the hospital has been working in close collaboration with the government to provide critical care to COVID-19 patients in the pandemic, and has earned the reputation of being one of the most sought-after centres for personalized care during COVID times. As the New Year approaches, we hope to complete the trials for the children’s Covid vaccine. As a  part of our overall development and expansion plans, we will establish a World Class Bone and Joint program/hospital in Gurgaon by next year. The new venture will serve as an Orthopedics, Joint Replacement, and Spine Hospital. In addition, we intend to open a new Cancer Hospital in Dwarka. which will provide comprehensive cancer care  including Radiation and BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant).
We are almost about to launch our State of the art Liver Transplant Program at our existing Dwarka Hospital, Multiple clinics as well as Super Speciality Hospitals are about to crop up in North India. A couple of our international projects  are also in the pipe line for 2022.” 
Business

Year End Wrap and 2022 Expectations from Brands in India – Healthcare, Biotech, HR & Lifestyle

Dec 24, 2021 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Biotech, #Brands in India -, #healthcare, #HR, #LIFESTYLE, #Neha Bagaria, #Rahul Dugar, #Rahul Kumar, #Surendra K Chikara., #Year End Wrap

Mr. Rahul Kumar, Co-Founder- Vital– An Insurtech Platform

Health insurance industry trend in 2021:

2021 has acted as a catalyst for the health insurance industry, adding new perspectives to the sector and increasing the demand amongst consumers. An increased fusion with technology has also led to the transformation of traditional health insurance services.

Responding to the growing demand from people, many private health insurance players have digitized their operations while a whole set of new-age insuretech players have also popped onto the scene. This has enabled the industry to reach a larger customer base and also drastically reduce the response and turnaround time for all the services-related processes, including claims.

There has been a greater focus on customer convenience, thanks to all the physical distancing norms and increased digital consumption on the part of the customers. We have also witnessed an increased awareness and ask for personalized benefits and services, creating the need for a product like ours which addresses every individual’s health and financial needs differently. The importance of tracking a user’s health, both from a business as well as a consumer point of view, has exponentially grown as well to help drive these value-added services.

Expectations from 2022

Health profiling and digitization have been two revolutionary changes in the insurance industry. Technological advancements are only going to propel this further in 2022. Insurance companies are using newer technology like data science, artificial intelligence to fast track their services and offer customized products for the consumer. Consumers are now aware of the ever-growing medical inflation and are on the lookout for affordable healthcare but have no desire to compromise quality or coverage.

Higher and comprehensive health coverage, both hospitalization and otherwise, is going to start taking the spotlight again – thanks to the advent of the new Omicron variant and a third wave apparently looming on the horizon. We are expecting the demand for health insurance to go up amongst both individuals and corporates. Insurance companies have already started focusing on smaller startups and SMEs to offer affordable group health covers, which has incidentally become a key part of the employee experience. Personalization and wellness are already starting to take a centre stage here as well.

On the consumer side, millennials and Gen Z are now aware of the reality of healthcare expenses which would further drive up the demand for health insurance. Add to that the fact that they are also aware of their personal healthcare needs, they will be on the lookout for personalized and holistic health covers like ours which keeps them prepared for both hospitalization and regular healthcare expenses.

Ms. Neha Bagaria, Founder & CEO, JobsForHer

2021 was a recovery period for working women.

Those who were forced to quit their jobs due to the pandemic took charge and made efforts to get back to the workforce by upskilling and keeping up-to-date with current technologies. JobsForHer recorded a three-fold increase in the number of job postings in 2021 from 2020.

Work from home roles has had a positive impact on the working women graph. JobsForHer recorded a more than 50% rise in the number of job postings for wfh roles. WFH also opened up vast opportunities for women from tier 2 and tier 3 cities to pursue their careers from their hometowns.

The IT industry really outshined this year and got serious about its diversity and inclusion goals. Almost 50% of the job postings on the JobsForHer platform were from the IT industry. And at the same time, women in tech users also went up by 21% in 2021.

With an aim to bring more women into tech, every month, 101 women receive 100% scholarships through the HerTech Academy, an initiative sponsored by JobsForHer Foundation.

According to a JobsForHer report, 48% of Indian companies formed special initiatives to bring women back into the workforce. Amazon AWS, Maersk, Airbus, Myntra, Google, GSK, Morgan Stanley, Thoughtworks Vapasi, TVS Motor are a few of the global companies that partnered with JobsForHer in 2021 with their returnee initiatives to encourage and accelerate women’s careers back on track with advanced tech jobs.

With work from home becoming a norm, we’re looking forward to more and more women from across the country updating their resumes and getting the opportunities to keep up with the changing trends in organisations.

Dr. Surendra K Chikara. Founder & CEO, Bione 

The future outlook for D2C genetic tests and microbiome tests is certainly very bright. The human microbiome market is projected to reach USD 1,598 million by 2028 from USD 894 million in 2025, at a CAGR of 21.3% from 2025 to 2028. The world’s consumer genetic testing market was worth USD 70m in 2015 and is expected to rise to $340m (£261m) by 2022. It’s expanded beyond the ancestry sector and into beauty, health and fitness. In the Indian market, awareness is still quite minimal and this needs to be ramped up. But there is a lot of coverage now about the close connection between gut health and overall health and how DNA testing can help recognize the risk of chronic disease.

Rahul Dugar – Co-Founder, Director, Arte’Venue

With the real estate sector returning to its normal state, the home décor and interior décor industry is also gaining a major push. As people buy new homes post the pandemic, they have a renewed interest in decorating their living spaces in a unique way and do not want to compromise on the quality.

According to a report published by researchandmarkets.com, The global market for online home decor is estimated at $98.4 billion in 2020 amid COVID-19 and is projected to a revised rise of $348.3 billion by 2027.

With offline offices resuming and many people relocating to a new city for work, demand for the home décor segment will further grow as people buy more homes. Also, hybrid work culture will continue to stay for some time which will again increase interest among people for home decors like lamps, wall art, artwork, lighting, furniture etc. To create a vibrant workspace for the employee’s many organizations are also investing in artefacts related to interior décor. It is expected that there will be a surge in demand from corporates as well as most of them are resuming offline operations from January or February in 2022.

Health

Increased health seeker demand and direct ownership of the patient are driving a major transformation in India’s healthcare ecosystem: PwC India

Dec 16, 2021 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #digital technologies, #Dr Rana Mehta, #healthcare, #healthcare ecosystem, #innovations, #PWC India

Large-scale deployment of digital technologies and innovations are transforming India’s healthcare landscape post the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report launched by PwC India, titled ‘A new healthcare era -Trends in a post-pandemic world.’

The report highlights emerging shifts in the healthcare domain. Some of the key changes witnessed in the sector are:

The increased focus on digitalisation has helped in accelerating contactless healthcare and faster decision making. Technological innovations have further helped patients and consumers to understand diseases better and subsequently, demand higher-quality healthcare services.

There has been a clear shift from brick-and-mortar healthcare centres to virtual-first care during the pandemic. There has also been a transition from medication to holistic addressable adjacencies, thereby disrupting traditional pharma practices.

It is interesting to see how digital as a lever is unlocking the agility and helping players move up the value chain across the sustainable well-being spectrum faster than ever before. The telemedicine model of the past is now becoming a full-stack virtual care model.

Commenting on the study, Dr Rana Mehta, Partner and Leader Healthcare PwC India, said, “Voice-based AI will bring in the next big transformation in healthcare. Such a technological advancement would enhance the upstream value of the healthcare framework and further usher in the ambient era of VUI. Consumer demand, innovation in technology, and enablers are driving alternative models of care and transforming the healthcare landscape.”

As per the report, contactless care is gaining ample momentum and the focus is moving towards reducing and optimising the number of touchpoints between the health system and health seeker, without losing the quality of care.

This new need to optimise steps has resulted in deep minimalism – a concept closely associated with the ability of a system to simplify steps without compromising with quality. This includes decision support to virtual treatment enablement, single engagement with multiple touchpoints, telemedicine to teletherapy and graphical user interface (GUI) to voice user interface (VUI). The ecosystem has enabled access to quality healthcare through digital health, open networks and open protocols.

Consumer preferences are driving the evolution of healthcare delivery models which creates added value for all the players in the ecosystem, be it capturing of data to use of insights engines and advanced analytics. The pandemic’s impact compelled healthcare organisations to rethink, reprioritise and reengineer the business models. They are now addressing the emerging challenges for the entire healthcare delivery ecosystem, such as adopting virtual-first healthcare delivery models on a larger scale. This allows for a more efficient, sustainable, technology-enabled and scale-ready healthcare ecosystem. COVID-19 has created a window of opportunities for molecular diagnostics, the potential for which has largely remained untapped till now.

The healthcare ecosystem is now exploring more holistic models of care delivery. The preparatory shift across the healthcare value chain aims at improving both business and health outcomes. For example, the oncology space has undergone a major transformation with the emergence of more distributed models as the demand for personalised and advanced therapy increases. The Government and the private sector are taking various initiatives to increase health insurance penetration, coverage and innovation, universal health insurance coverage through digital exponential technologies; and early detection of illness to the continuum of care.

Business World

HDFC Bank, Apollo Hospitals join hands for quality healthcare

Oct 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Apollo Hospitals, #Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, #HDFC Bank, #healthcare, #Mr. Aditya Puri, #Ms. Shobana Kamineni, #The HealthyLife Programme

In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, HDFC Bank and Apollo Hospitals have joined hands to launch  The HealthyLife Programme, a holistic healthcare solution which makes healthy living accessible and affordable on Apollo’s digital platform, Apollo 24|7. The programme is created exclusively for HDFC Bank customers who will get round the clock access to emergency Apollo Doctor at No Cost on Apollo 24|7 along with a plethora of benefits such as choice of payment options and ease of finance for treatments at all Apollo Hospitals.

The initiative was launched digitally by Mr. Aditya Puri, Managing Director, HDFC Bank and Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group in the presence of Ms. Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group and Mr Sashidhar Jagdishan, the MD Designate of HDFC Bank.

The two biggest challenges in a medical emergency or keeping healthy are access to trusted, quality healthcare and easy finance at scale. The coming together of these two leading players aims to address precisely this through the combined reach of the two organizations. About 40 per cent of India is only about 30 minutes away from an Apollo pharmacy while over 85 per cent of the districts in the country are served by an HDFC Bank branch. The two organizations have the potential to initially serve 65 million existing HDFC Bank customer along with the new ones who will be onboarded along the journey of this partnership.

“There is nothing more precious than life and health.  A healthy India is the first step towards a really wealthy India. To me it is like a mini health mission that will revolutionize access to quality healthcare for millions of our countrymen. They can get medical services at a place and time of their choice. We are inspired by the prime minister’s clarion call on Independence Day to provide healthcare services for all through the National Digital Health Mission. I am extremely happy and proud to launch this,” said Mr. Aditya Puri, Managing Director, HDFC Bank.

Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “I am excited to be a part of this launch as the objective is to make lives healthy while making the process convenient and easy for the customers. We are glad to partner with HDFC Bank and provide real-time access to world-class Apollo expertise on Apollo 24|7. I am sure that this association will usher in positive changes in both healthcare and financial sector of our country and propel the PMs vision of a Healthy India.”

Ms. Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “I think it is about time that we prioritise health over everything else. With this partnership, we want to make it easier for all Indians across the country, to opt for a healthy life by making quality healthcare affordable and accessible 24|7, using a digital-first approach. Through this association, we take lead in the country’s ongoing healthcare metamorphosis by providing a unique Omni-channel solution, which is what the people need today. It aligns with our objective of offering a Continuum of Care for all those who believe in Apollo”

Key features that customers can avail:

HealthyLife Programme Finance
Anytime Apollo Doctor on Call Service at No Cost Pre-approved personal loan of upto Rs 40 lakh
Complementary One Apollo membership for the 1st year. 10 second personal loan disbursal
Chronic care programmes on Apollo 24|7 No Cost EMI on Credit or Debit Cards
Home delivery of medicines with membership discounts on Apollo 24|7 Lifecare Finance with Easy EMI covering eye care, dental care, maternity, IVF
WhatsApp based concierge services

 

 Credit card facility with EMI on card, instant discounts, Spend-based waivers, Concierge facilities.
Comprehensive health check up  

In addition, HDFC Bank will also offer all Apollo employees/customers a host of banking products including loans for medical equipment.

For complete information on #HealthyLife visit: https://bit.ly/3jElvEb