Startups bring healthcare to India’s doorstep
04-Nov-14, The Times of India
Ananth Kumar, 32, a businessman from Chennai, was at a loss when his mother went into a coma. As soon as she regained consciousness and was discharged from a hospital, Ananth was troubled over how to give her round-the-clock support when his business demanded him to travel frequently. Thankfully, a home-based healthcare agency came to his rescue and made sure his mother was cared for well.
Quality healthcare for the chronically ill has now come past the doorstep-and onto the bedside. While home based care for the elderly has been available for the past few years, start-ups are now paving the way to a home-based care model that addresses healthcare needs of patients in a specialized manner. Apart from geriatric care, these agencies are venturing into providing speciality care incorporated with technology and customised packages.
Diabetologist Dr Vijay Vishwanathan said the concept was gradually catching on. "It helps decrease the direct and indirect medical costs of patients to a large extent," he said.