Empowering Rural Patients: How Health-Tech Startups Are Democratising Healthcare

The healthcare industry has drastically evolved over the past few years in India. Thanks to newer technologies, innovation and unique solutions offered by new-age start-ups, the industry has seen improvement in easy access to medical assistance, quality, and affordability of healthcare services, especially in rural India.  

According to a report published by the Internet and Mobile Association of India and Praxis Global Alliance, India’s health tech sector was valued at $1.9 billion in 2020. However, with almost 8,060 health-tech startups who are currently fuelling the growth of the healthcare industry in India, the future of the industry has taken giant leaps forward. 

With over 131 deals and $2.2 billion in funding in the health tech sector alone in 2021, it is confirmed that the health-tech startups are going the extra mile to strengthen the healthcare ecosystem in India.

Democratising Indian Healthcare Industry With Tech

The health tech ecosystem in India has boomed since the pandemic, and several scaled healthcare startups have emerged in the past three years. Here are some of the innovative ways that these startups have been using to further support digital health in India. 

Telemedicine: Brings Healthcare Closer

The core idea behind this concept is to bring healthcare closer to patients in rural areas by providing them medical advice and consultations from a distance. With telemedicine, patients can get clinical counsel and treatment from doctors virtually, manage their chronic conditions, seek follow-up care, and track progress without venturing out from the city. 

Electronic Medical Records: Improving Access To Healthcare Data

Providing appropriate medical care demands access to relevant healthcare data but staying up with the latest records can be a challenge for the world’s most populous nation, especially for people who live in the rural parts of the country. However, with the help of technology, healthcare firms in India are now democratising the healthcare industry by developing ‘Digital health record systems’ and reshaping the experience for both patients as well as medical practitioners. They can now track and maintain records online and can access them from any part of the country digitally.   

Utilising Mobile Technology To Improve Healthcare

One of the biggest technological implementations in the healthcare industry is how the use of mobile technology is changing the game for healthcare provision and the patient experience. 

For example, many health tech startups have launched their health apps that can give patients access to tools that can monitor their health, get medication reminders, and manage their wellness, especially when they live in rural India where access to basic rural healthcare services is still being addressed.

The technology has also helped nursing staff and medical professionals as they can now use the device for reminders to prompt medications, measuring vital signs via devices that patients can operate themselves, or self-serve prescription and fulfilment services among others. These tasks not only make their lives easier but further automates their jobs so that they can concentrate on more hands-on and meaningful care activities.

Leveraging Local Healthcare Programmes

With so many socio-economic hurdles including proper education, health and hygiene and employment opportunities, at times rural India finds it difficult to keep up with the pace of growth.  To address this, many health tech startups like us take up projects like Swasthya Mitra that aim at providing local support to the communities for preventive and promotive health. 

Under this project, we engage with local talents from these tier-2 or tier-3 cities and train them as Swasthya Mitra, who can help and guide communities in medical need and can further earn a decent livelihood as they progress. Another similar scenario is when health startups leverage their own clinal staff as the first touch point for healthcare where doctors are not available and act like Asha workers.

Additionally, to benefit people in disadvantaged sections who are looking for ways to reduce their experiences, many startups have introduced affordable membership programmes. By paying an amount as less as Rs 50 per month, they not only get free consultations but also covers for loss of income in case of surgery and critical illness. 
 
Be it leveraging cutting-edge technologies or investing in innovation to facilitate quality and affordable healthcare across the country, health tech startups are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the best possible medical care reaches India’s remote areas at the same time. If this momentum of growth continues, the country would be able to ensure “Health for all" to even the remotest area of the country by strengthening primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare systems. 

(The author is the founder of the healthcare startup CureBay)

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